David Prater was born in Dubbo in 1972. He received an Honours degree in Australian Literature from Sydney University in 1994 and has since worked in a variety of research and educational settings. He is currently a researcher at the Institute for Social Research at Swinburne University. His poetry and prose has appeared in Meanjin, Jacket, Going Down Swinging, slope, papertiger, Voiceworks and other journals. Visit his home page.

David's poem for 'The Poetry Picture Show' will appear here in October, 2006

last night betty (below) was written for the 2002 'Epic Project

last night betty

last night betty went down to the river & never came back
she put on her old black leather boots put her shit in her bag
left a note saying once you start living there's no running back
left the radio on left the dishes to dry in the rack

last night betty went down to the cane fields & never came back
stuck her thumb in the general direction of love on a map
left a note saying don't believe bruce I'm nit giving him jack
left her key in the door of that primitive fisherman's shack

last night betty went down to the railroad & never cam back
shrugging off all her old & particular memory banks
left a sign in her window & thereby invited attacks
put her demons on notice I'm taking my memories back

last night betty went down to the highway & never came back
said goodbye to the river her lover her tiny red shack
left a note saying now I believe that my organs are black
took a walk past the pits & the black tire marks on the track

last night betty went down to the bus stop & never came back
whistling as she covered my grave with her heel & some trash
took her shoes off & trudged through the sawdust & glass out the back
left the note in her pocket & promised to call me right back

last night betty went down to the phone booth & never came back
last seen dropping a coin in the slot & then turning her back
turn away from the circling birds & modern world cracks
last night betty went down to the river & never came back