Between the slumbering earth
And an awakened
Bright sky,
Humming
Mountains and silent valleys
Lit up by the
Glowing stars
Spread out in the sky,
The wandering
Aboriginal poet,
A distant
Descendant of
Bennelong/Colebee
Fresh from the University,
Roams the valleys
Of a land called
Terra Nullius
By the invaders
Circa1770-88,
The bilingual poet
Who hated his origins
But later realized his folly,
Tries to capture
In his sad songs
What he hears
From the wandering spirits
That once spoke to his simple
Ancestors
Rooted to forest, land and sea,
The intimate voices,
Visions,
Sharing attitudes,
Now lost forever,
After the arrival of
The alien
First Fleet
And with it:
The Convict,
Conflict
And disease.
The poet tries to reclaim
A troubled legacy,
And with efforts,
Catches the old songs
Of the sky, the land and the sea;
The vibrant songs that speak and
Heard with sympathy
By immigrants and others,
Since they, the songs, that
Document—
Their own marginalized histories.
Enlightening as well as erudite.
Agree wholeheartedly with Louis Kasatkin.
Thanks Madhumita.
Destiny Poets’ International Community of Poets ( ICOP ) are pleased to announce that for April 2013 , the following works have been chosen in the categories of Poem of the Month and Highly Commended . ** Poem of the Month ** :As Your Beauty Unfolded – Jan Christian Sorensen…..** Highly Commended ** (Tabulated in alphabetical order)..*Black Forest – Madhumita Ghosh…..*Breezing Thoughts – Reena Prasad…..*Dear Enemy – Maqsood Qureshi…..*Delusion – Sangeeta Sharma…..*Dreamtime – Sunil Sharma…..*First Rain in Vienna – Sarita Jenamani…..*Life Under The Moon – Ramesh Anand…..*Nothing Remains To Be Done – Sangeeta Suneja…..*Restless Mind – Jan Phillips…..*(The)Swallow’s Tale – Mary Annie…..*Time Device – Gopal Lahiri…..*You Were a Moment – Fathima Manal…..