This is the Big country
crammed into a small island
Big trucks on Big roads
drawing tight bands
across the belly of the land,
land that shudders
at the memory
of natives driven to destruction
trees this year
not people
not this election year.
Big heaters and Big power bills
to keep those home fires burning
Big people in Big houses
staring at the empty sea,
minds constricted
by all this space.
Tuesday crept up on me so apologies for posting a 'raw' poem which still needs a little baking. I've been working on the northern coast of Tasmania recently, and this poem explains a little of what I've been hearing and feeling - it's a lovely coastal spot, but marred by history and the fact that the big multinationals still have so much power here. They're pulping the native forests and mining in the National Park and the majority of the local population seem more interested in talking about their new cars and houses. I suppose NZ's not much better...
2 comments:
I was going to post a raw poem too - I'd even written 'not sure if it's cooked yet' but then blogger played up and I became superstitious and posted an old one instead.
It’s uncanny too as I just finished a collage sourced from a pictorial book on Australia that I picked up in an op shop today.
I've been thinking about Aboriginal land rights after recently watching the documentary 'Kayini' - have you seen it?
The consequences of greed are heartbreaking for sure.
Thanks for posting this Renee, enjoyed it.
Welcome to the Tuesday Poets, Renee! (I'll pass hastily over the embarrassing fact that my welcome is a week late...)
I like this poem as a poem (it seemed to have just the right amount of 'rawness'), and I also agree heartily with its point of view. It concerns me that our present Government views a place like Tasmania as something to aspire to, not a cautionary tale.
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