Poetry Sunday 8 October 2017

Today more from Ali Cobby Eckermann

Thunder raining poison

a whisper arrives. two thousand. two thousand or more. did you hear it?
that bomb. the torture of red sand turning green
the anguish of earth turned to glass
did you hear it? two thousand. two thousand or more
yams cremated inside the earth. poison trapped
in glass like a museum. did you hear it?
two thousand. two thousand or more
tears we cried for our Land
for the fear you gave us, for the sickness and the dying two thousand years of memory here
two thousand. two thousand or more
peaceful place this place. happy place till you come with your bombs
you stole our happiness with your poison ways
you stole our stories
two thousand. two thousand or more
our people gone missing. did you hear it?
where’s my grandfather? you seen him?
where’s my daughter? you seen her?
Mummy! you seen my mum? Dad!
two thousand. two thousand or more
times I asked for truth. do you know where they are?
two thousand. two thousand or more
trees dead with arms to the sky. all the birds missing. no birdsong here
just stillness. like a funeral. two thousand or more
a whisper arrives. did you hear it?
two thousand. two thousand or more
it sounds like glass. our hearts breaking. but we are stronger than that
we always rise us mob. two thousand. two thousand or more
you can’t break us. we not glass. we are people!
two thousand. two thousand or more
our Spirit comes together. we make a heart
did you see it? in the fragments. it’s there in the glass
two thousand. two thousand or more
our hearts grow as we mourn for our Land
it’s part of us. we love it. poisoned and all
Notes:
This poem is a response to the installation Thunder Raining Poison created by Kokatha glass artist Yhonnie Scarce. It is a statement about the impact of atomic bomb testing on our traditional lands at Maralinga in South Australia by the British government during the 1940s–60s.

MDFF 7 October 2017

Under the Radar, first published February 2013

Kia Ora

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufaNpVhC-F8

On 6th.February  Aotearoa celebrates Waitangi Day. In Australia, Waitangi Day this year was under the radar. On the same day PM Julia Gillard delivered her annual ‘Closing the Gap Statement’ to parliament. The latter elicited very little publicity or discussion. It was almost under the radar.

In her statement our PM blasted the newly elected NT government for its alcohol policies. It was reported that “ the rivers of grog are back on Aboriginal communities”. Here we go again… no more are rivers of grog flowing on Aboriginal communities (definitely not in Yuendumu) than they have finally located the Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Yes, a serious increase in alcohol fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour has occurred since the NT Government scrapped the Banned Drinker Register (BDR). The BDR required patrons-black and white- to show ID when buying take away grog. The increase in violence is almost entirely confined to urban centres. The current NT government’s alternative to the BDR is to have a heavy police presence at liquor outlets and to harass and question people to ascertain whether they are going to drink their purchases somewhere where it isn’t illegal to do so, and seizing their grog if they are unable to so demonstrate. No prizes for guessing what the predominant colour of the targeted patrons is.

The leader of the Federal opposition’s response to the Closing the Gap statement was worthy as material for a University Psychology course. When egocentricityand narcissism are discussed, he’d make an interesting case study.

Mr. Rabbit kept referring to his sorties to  outback Aboriginal communities to ‘lend a helping hand’. He also repeatedly lauded Noel Pearson and Cape York Peninsula. The rest of Aboriginal Australia was under the radar. Like a Ken-doll we have already seen Australia’s Action-man in various disguises, fish filleter, racing cyclist, lifesaver, fire fighter, you name it he’s done it…. Tony Abbott is definitely not under the radar. More like in your face.

Abbott017 Abbott008-1 Abbott006Abbott010-1   Abbott015Abbott002Abbott021

To wrap up his Closing the Gap Statement reply, Tony Abbott said that should he become the next Australian PM, he would spend a whole week on an Aboriginal Community each year of his leadership. I have been unable to work out if this was a promise or a threat.

Almost three years ago he visited Alice Springs. This is what I wrote in a Dispatch back then:

“As reported by Dan Moss in the Centralian Advocate, Mr. Abbott paid a visitation upon an Alice Springs ‘town camp’ with an entourage of politicians and journalists (17 people in all). I have been told that this visit was unannounced and uninvited. They descended on and filmed an unfortunate amputee sitting in ‘third world conditions’ (I saw it on the ABC TV News). TA gave him a spiel and asked him: “I’m here to help- what can I do?”

The fellow said he’d like some firewood! He didn’t mention a ‘Closing of the Gap’ or a decent house, or a ‘real job’, none of that, just firewood!  Dan Moss wrote: “Did Abbott go fetch firewood? No. He and the stage hands moved on to the next poor bugger to run the same spiel”

…….When our 9 year old grand-daughter overheard us talking about this she chimed in “He’ll have to get his own firewood….. by hopping”….

Regina Spektor- Firewood:…

…and nothing can stop you from dancing…

…don’t look so shocked,

   don’t judge so harsh

   you don’t know, you’re only spying…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KYTWTnbMDE

Abbott023

The above sign says “Yuendumu Mining Co. Est. 1969 Locally owned. Against the Intervention”.

Often now visitors ask me what does it mean. The Intervention (and its euphemistically named continuation: ‘Stronger Futures’) are under the radar.

PM Gillard visited New Zealand a few days ago. The main announcement emanating from that visit is that 150 refugees will be passed on from Australia to New Zealand per annum from 2014. Not a word about the Treaty of Waitangi, and the relationship between New Zealand’s native and colonizer populations. Such is under the radar.

I am told that the Maori/Pakeha relationship is far from perfect, it is none the less light years ahead of Australia’s relationship with its First Peoples.

Last night I saw a New Zealand film on SBS (Australia’s ‘ethnic’ TV channel)…. It is called ‘Boy’ and is an absolute gem. It is charming, touching and hilarious all at once. Everyone knows about ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. ‘Boy’ is under the radar.

After writing this Dispatch, I trawled youtube for some suitable music. Something uncanny… I caught Dispatch: Under the Radar- “Open Up”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaOr6FfQrBg

The guitarist is a doppelganger for my musician brother.

As usual I’d like to finish on a note of optimism. Below a list received from Yuendumu’s GEC (Government Engagement Coordinator) that replaced our GBM (Government Business Manager), but must be a doppelganger of the latter, as her looks, behavior, salary and accommodation etc. are identical:

Scheduled Visitors to Yuendumu :

4/2 Kathleen Anderson and Ra Schwalger –  DEEWR  Warlpiri Boarding Facility Discussions

4/2 – 8/2 Helen Kennedy – Batchelor  Conduct VET training at school

4/2/ – 8/2 Ear Nose and Throat Team – DoH  At the Clinic all Week.

4/2 – 6/2 Cliff Alexander, Erin Turner and Sonia Dare from Waltya  Money Management Training

5/2 Alf Leonardi and Rosemary Andrews  – DECS Discussions re proposed Trade Training Centre

6/2 – 7/2 Jenny Davis and Robin Hall – FaHCSIA Stores Team Stores visit

6/2 – 8/2 Joan Whitehead and Fiona Stokes Personal Hygiene Training

7/2 – 8/2 Amy Peachey – Centre for disease Control DoH Trachoma Health Management

10/2-15/2 Gene Martin – Dept. of Housing Tenancy Management

11/2 – 15/2 MyPathway/ITEC JobSeeker Servicing

12/2-14/2 Nick Bewg Families as First Teachers Support FaFT program

21/2 Ray Janz – Cogent Business solutions Visit WYDAC

*These are known visitors as of today – scheduling may change and there may be others that I am unaware of…

I shouldn’t have copied the list. You’ll all be jealous now.

My favourite is the ‘Personal Hygiene Training’ but I just noticed I have missed out. Joan and Fiona arrived and left Yuendumu under the radar.

Ain’t that a shame!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNNiBcU3BR4

No matter, the Warlpiri Nation has had that bureaucratic socio-political game known as “pick up the soap…” often played against it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huZlL58yvyM

E haere rā

 TOMORROW: Poetry Sunday – Mr Lionel Fogarty

 

Atrocities.

Dear reader. Today’s compelling piece comes to us from that luminary of the near north Lew Skannen. And Lew makes a trenchant point on atrocities. We regret to inform you that these atrocities are of the serious kind. Not those encountered on “Australia’s Funniest home Video’s” or the fact that the Herald Sun has so far devoted four days solid to the Grand Final. We agree that the Grand Final should be clebrated, but it makes us think that perhaps there may be more important issues.

Not that we want to discount the mighty victory of the Richmond Football Club, but just to give balance. “Hmmm, balance” you might say, “all sounds a bit Murdoch”. In which case you’re ahead of the pack. As for Packs, this piece is an Ace in the hole, it’s Bang on, and really hits the mark.

So accurate as ever, here’s Lew, and there is a children warning, he is LOADED.

He writes..

As it is easily calculable that a bullet will never reach its intended target, that logically it will always have half its remaining distance to travel, it is my belief that these so called ‘atrocities’ are simply governmentally generated beat-ups intended, like Orwell’s Oceania and Eurasia, to sway us all in carefully calculated directions.

‘Beware the Jabberwock, my Son..’If you get my drift.

Even supposing there were any truth in all of this supposed mayhem, it is neither the shooter or the gun that kills people-it’s the gold darned bullet! Ban the Bullet, I say!The gun is then rendered useless, the factory manufacturing armaments ditto, then the chaps who are really responsible for putting lethal weapons into the hands of maniacs are magically revealed..
Who, then, are these contemptible curs? What do you think?
It’s the damned government! OR… It’s Saudi Arabia! OR…The many other power-crazed oafs in the world, perhaps?
Oh come on! Wake up, for Gawd’s sake!
‘Tis, I fear, much simpler. The answer is, whether we like it or not, Us, We, Ourselves.
Sadly, through MacMansions and money, we have been whored, seduced and cheaply bought at the price of principle.
Where the hell has our courage gone? Why aren’t we in the streets, everyone of us, howling our horrified revulsion at the criminal antics of our government?

Human rights, (yours and mine and hard fought for) are trampled on, every day, in our country. All over our country, Aborigines are treated like animals and in our concentration camps on Manus Island and elsewhere, wholly innocent people are allowed to languish for years so that in  many cases, these people, who have committed no crime at all, simply give up all hope and kill themselves. Our attitude to refugees is not that of an enlightened, 21st century democracy, Our attitude is in fact, strongly reminiscent of that of the Third Reich.

for pity’s sake, surely we are better than this?

International tribunals, again and again have condemned these practices.

Unashamedly, our governments regularly shrug international criticism off.

One day,mark my words, Australia will be called to account for its actions.

Come on, Aussie! Where’s your sense of shame, your honour, your sense of decency, your ‘fair go’?

If ever it was needed, it is needed now.

END

Lew Skannen

Poetry Sunday 1 October 2017

Belated post today, due entirely to internet disruption (and beer)

Our poet today is the other Wyndham Campbell prize winner Carolyn Forché. (We featured  the other winner Ali Cabby Eckermann last week.). Forché coined the term “poetry of witness”.

“Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1950, poet, teacher and activist Carolyn Forché has witnessed, thought about, and put into poetry some of the most devastating events of twentieth-century world history. According to Joyce Carol Oates in the New York Times Book Review, Forché’s ability to wed the “political” with the “personal” places her in the company of such poets as Pablo Neruda, Philip Levine, and Denise Levertov.” from Poetry Foundation

The Boatman
BY CAROLYN FORCHÉ

We were thirty-one souls all, he said, on the gray-sick of sea
in a cold rubber boat, rising and falling in our filth.
By morning this didn’t matter, no land was in sight,
all were soaked to the bone, living and dead.
We could still float, we said, from war to war.
What lay behind us but ruins of stone piled on ruins of stone?
City called “mother of the poor” surrounded by fields
of cotton and millet, city of jewelers and cloak-makers,
with the oldest church in Christendom and the Sword of Allah.
If anyone remains there now, he assures, they would be utterly alone.
There is a hotel named for it in Rome two hundred meters
from the Piazza di Spagna, where you can have breakfast under
the portraits of film stars. There the staff cannot do enough for you.
But I am talking nonsense again, as I have since that night
we fetched a child, not ours, from the sea, drifting face-
down in a life vest, its eyes taken by fish or the birds above us.
After that, Aleppo went up in smoke, and Raqqa came under a rain
of leaflets warning everyone to go. Leave, yes, but go where?
We lived through the Americans and Russians, through Americans
again, many nights of death from the clouds, mornings surprised
to be waking from the sleep of death, still unburied and alive
but with no safe place. Leave, yes, we obey the leaflets, but go where?
To the sea to be eaten, to the shores of Europe to be caged?
To camp misery and camp remain here. I ask you then, where?
You tell me you are a poet. If so, our destination is the same.
I find myself now the boatman, driving a taxi at the end of the world.
I will see that you arrive safely, my friend, I will get you there.