When you’re hanging hubby’s stubbies on the hills hoist and you hear,
A distant kookaburra and the call of “Wanna beer?”
When the neighbour starts the mower up and Dad says he needs the lav,
And the smell of barbied lamb chops blends with nanna’s berry pav.
~
When your heels crack after having thongs on all the summer long,
And down the local pub you’ll find there’s Ferret, Shaz and Dong,
When your sister’s husband’s cousin weds your auntie’s brother’s son,
When a game in which you skull straight bundy’s meant to be real fun.
~
That’s when you know you’re in Austraya, you’re down under, you’re in Oz,
Where the footy beats a shag and you will get a sunburned snoz.
Where we have VB for breakky with our toast and vegemite,
Where you live in lucky country – well you do if you are ‘white’.
~
It’s all bewdy and fair go and bloody ripper and true blue,
(It really is I love it and I’m proud to be an Aussie, true)
But we always seem to overlook how this land found its wings,
Forget amidst the lamingtons who made this country sing.
~
Waranta takara milaythina nara takara.
(we walk where they walked)
Categories: Stories & Poems
Tags: Aboriginal Reconciliation, Australia Day, Palawa Kani, poetry
Meg Bignell, Poet Lorikeet?