His poems have been set for study in New South Wales schools and his poetry has a strong voice from the Aboriginal perspective dealing with the dispossession and injustice experienced since the European settlement of their land.
The following poem "A Righteous Day" was written to coincide with the Bicentennial Celebrations in 1988 - which marked 200 years since White or European Settlement of Australia. It was a controversial issue for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who felt that this was not something to celebrate, but rather mourn. The 26th of January is a public holiday in Australia, marking the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove. Since 1938 many politically active Aboriginals began to call it the Day of Mourning.
A Righteous Day
A lifetime of inventions sticky-taping a zipper into
A ballpoint pen filled with transistorised tunes
Protecting my wrists from the slashes of insecurities.
Today, I shall hold my head higher than
The kites are flying, swooping down on this
Today, I shall keep my violence passive in anger,
My voice shall be a steel spring coiled.
Today, I shall cut a smile into the provocation of insults.
Today, I shall walk tall with the leaders who walk on
Stilts and stumble as they greet me with cries of goodwill.
Today, I shall stand sober and high under the railway bridge
Echoing and resounding with the slap-slap of straight razors
Stropping on the skin of a year mourning bleeding.
Today, I shall let my fist be clenched in songs;
Today, I shall speech-give the essence of my truth;
Today, I shall be free of harassment and let my steps
Lead me away from the red and black along the golden path
Of the honeyed sunshining of my dreams.
Today, I shall find a will to be responsive to our needs.
For today, this day is our day and don't forget it!
'My bloody oath I won't, mate!'
(Sydney, 26 January 1988)
what do the opening lines mean ?
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