Almanac Poetry: Gorillas in the Mist
[Wikimedia Commons.]
Gorillas in the Mist
Two poets, who shall remain nameless,
agreed to catch up
in early New Year
to watch Test Cricket on TV
and sink some lazy beers.
Summer heat hammered the afternoon.
The cricket was desultory.
Discussion turned to Dr. Williams,
his triadic feet
and poetry of place.
Quis hic locus, quae regio, quae mundi plaga?
By seven p.m. they’d each consumed
a goodly amount of VB.
And then one poet enthused,
‘Tomorrow is my birthday!’
The other exclaimed,
‘I’ll shout you to tea.’
They rambled up to their local,
‘The Pig and Wheelbarrow’.
But the pub wouldn’t serve one poet
until he donned a T-shirt offered
to cover his blue singlet.
Reluctantly, the item was worn.
It bore the promotional words,
‘I allus ‘ave wan at the Barrow.’
It was like placing plastic antlers
on the family cat at Christmas time
– dignity was offended.
But the poet soldiered on.
More beers. Wine. A two-course meal.
A couple more beers. The two poets tottered
back to one poet’s house. In the morning,
they couldn’t remembered precisely
how they arrived home.
But CDs scattered beneath the lounge window
suggested they had both climbed in.
Ah yes, we – I mean, they –
were alcoholic apes that night,
completely ‘gorillas’
– ‘gorillas in the mist’.
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
Kevin Densley’s latest poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws…I’m Feeling Too Indolent, is available HERE
Read more Almanac Poetry HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His sixth book-length poetry collection, Isle Full of Noises, was published in early 2026 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Good thing then there were no guerrillas in the midst.
Ha – yes, Matt. That might have caused some problems!