Truth

[a commentary on the tragedy of the indigenous suicide rate]

What is it about history
that makes it so hard
for the conqueror to acknowledge
that they have conquered?

There can be no denial.....
the ruthless victors stand
with their feet apon the necks
of the once unchallenged people.

Just as that horrific injustice
was visited on past generations
.... so the current day victors
are part of the ghastly story
.... and the fact that the story exists
cannot be denied.

The ongoing denial is a knife
that stabs..... and stabs...
The wounds cannot heal
till history is accepted
and the victors say "Sorry".

© Ian Croft March 2019

Glass

[We often have kookaburras trying to fly through closed windows]

Glass is solid this I know
but the poor kookaburra ... he don't know
He thinks that because he can't see it
... that he can fly through it!
.... and WACK ..... he finds that he can't.

It's a frequent mishap in our house ...
... we jump up in great alarm
It's just the kooka ... we can relax
while Mr Kooka ... he tries again
to fly straight through the glass

He sees the fly on the other side
and attacks! ... only to meet the solid glass
I wonder what he thinks each time
as he is stopped by apparent nothing?
"Why?" says he ..... as he tries and tries
He knows what should be .... so he tries again

The true owners of this land

butt their head against the transparent barrier

of our unthinking indifference ....

Can you feel what they must feel?

This land is part of them .... and once was theirs

to roam and breathe.

Now we deny them dignity in life

with the glass that keeps them from their past.

Lets accept that the land once was theirs ....

...and it was taken from them!

Lets make the treaty that should have been

so we all can love this land together.

© Ian Croft February 2019

Celebrate

Let's all celebrate!
Light up the barbie.... crack a tinnie!
It's a night to forget the day's problems
and the problems of the year....
Maybe I might even forget my fear!

.....  wait.... what did I just say?
Forget my fear?  What am I thinking of?
I have no fear! No fear at all....

Fear that I might remember the people
who have died so that I can celebrate.
The people who've been shot....
.... who've been raped and tortured
so that I can celebrate.... 

The families torn apart....
.... children stolen from their parents

.... Yes! Let's forget about all that stuff.
It all happened a long time ago....
It's nothing to do with me.... So let's celebrate!
I don't want to remember.....
.... that the beautiful land that I call my own
was stolen at gunpoint....

I don't want to remember. 

© Ian Croft January 2019

Makarrata

For countless millennia ... before counted time began ....
my people are part of this land
We are this land.... this land is us
The brothers shared the land ... coolbardie yongka kwenda
..... and so many others .... we are equal with them
We breathe this land
.... from the gentle winds by the sea
.... to the frigid morning desert wind
the land breathes life into us

And so our breath gives back to this land
The land is me ..... and I am the land

But wait .... in the long "day" .... the time that we have been this land.....
the last few minutes has seen a disturbance in the land
The rivers dry up.... the fish die .... the brothers are going
.... the land tells me that the spirit is hurting

I am hurting .... my people are hurting....

Join me in makarrata to heal the land.

© Ian Croft January 2019  (Permission given for use with acknowledgement)