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Permalink Reply by Ilan on February 23, 2012 at 11:19

I enjoyed your friends poem Jon, 
a bit of rhyme mostly a simple poem
which paints reality and the ups and 
downs, grief yet the richness of the 
cycle of life and the beauty of Bondi,
more please! 

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Permalink Reply by Dermot Gill on February 23, 2012 at 12:24

 A good poem with a degree of simplicity yet it is very effective. I would be interested in some feedback on this poem.

Australia Day 2012

 

A Gadigal opening, a recognition of our forefathers, politically correct if not expedient,

Genuine, honest, heartfelt, let’s all acknowledge their place,

A day of celebration or a day of remorse, depends, which part of the divide you are on,

The spirit of reconciliation floats like the music, overseen by the Australia Day Council,

Perhaps there will be support to recognise their names in the preamble to the constitution,

Parramatta a key player in sustaining the colony,

Majestic balloons, whose elegance are dampened by the rain and the lack of visibility,

Events and people succumb to Mother Nature.

Ceremonies and certificates of citizenship abound, some 3000 round,

Smiles, tears, new beginnings, great hope, a belonging,

New allegiances to a Nation, a flag, a moment captured in the many snaps,

Proud to be fair dinkum new Australians.

 

Yellow thongs, an array of events to commemorate an Australian identity,

Sydney’s traditional ferry race, keeps the crowd bubbling,

Awaiting the pyrrhic salute, that encapsulates the spirit and arouses that sense of identity,

Our politicians can not keep out of it even for such a day,

“Tent City”, forty years enough time to move on, taken out of context of course,

 A hook up, another play by a staffer to score free points, for his leader,

Catching the Police on the wrong foot, a poor decision deserving of the boot,

Like the misunderstanding shown for the feelings of our Indigenous folk,

A similar lack of empathy for the heroes of the incessant struggles of the relief workers,

Their quest to claim the limelight backfires badly,

So as the sun sets on another Australia Day, Massacre Way,

The chasm seems to widen not to dissipate, a harsh judgement, perhaps?

 

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