October 20, 2019
Dear Subscriber:
Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of
view. Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of view. The theme
for this week is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which are celebrated
on Oct. 14.
I welcome comments on my poems at
http://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com .
A poem for Indigenous Peoples’ Day about the forced
separation of indigenous children from their parents, based
on passages from the Introduction to Bringing
Them Home, the final report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, conducted
by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission: Confidential submission
318, Tasmania: removal from Cape Barren Island, Tasmania, of 8 siblings in the
1960s:
From the final
report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Children from Their Families:
So the next thing I
remember
Was that they took
us away from there,
And we went to the
hospital,
And I kept asking
Because the
children were screaming,
And the little
brothers and sisters were just babies of course,
And I couldn’t move,
they were all around me,
Around my neck and
legs, yelling and screaming.
I was all upset and
I didn’t know what to do,
And I didn’t know
where we were going.
I just thought:
Well, they’re police,
They must know what
they’re doing.
I suppose I’ve got
to go with them.
They’re taking us
to see Mum.
You know, this is
what I honestly thought.
They kept us in
hospital for three days,
And I kept asking,
‘When are we going
to see Mum?’
And no one told us
at this time.
And I think on the
third or fourth day
They piled us in
the car,
And I said, ‘Where
are we going?’
And they said, ‘We
are going to see your mother.’
But then we turned
left to go to the airport,
And I got a little
panicky
About where we were
going.
They got hold of
me,
And I got a little
baby in my arms,
And they put us on
the plane.
And still they told
us
We were going to
see Mum.
So I thought she
must be
Wherever they’re
taking us.
© by Nicholas Gordon
If you enjoyed this poem, please like, comment on, or share
it so that it might be seen and enjoyed by others. To see this poem on my site,
go to https://www.poemsforfree.com/thefor.html.
For more poems for indigenous peoples’ day, go to https://www.poemsforfree.com/indigenouspeoplesdaypoems.html
.
This week’s theme: Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day
10/19: The Ravages of Rum: America
10/20: The Forced Separation of Indigenous Children from Their Parents: Australia
