ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Soft brown feet.

In ancient times, small soft brown feet trod on a country’s floor
in places where no other foot had trod;
and soft brown feet lived simple lives with nature, and their lore.
… but ships, with ‘all unfurled for speed’, were bound from foreign shore,
the captain’s orders, from the queen, “You take land in my name
and do whatever’s needed now, for you there’ll be no blame;
farewell sir, travel in the hand of god”.

…and so they travelled. Soft brown feet, knew nothing of their ‘game’
of shoot a threat, and plant a flag, and say;
“I, in the name of good Queen Vic, take all this land by claim
and we shall settle here good folk, in God Almighty’s name”.
Job done, land taken. Soft brown feet heard, ‘musket, fife, and drum’
and many soft brown feet lay dead beneath some grieving gum;
while those who lived heard “…onward with the fray,

…more ships, we need more labour now to build this land that’s free,
with toil and sweat we’ll make the future bright;
for all this land I take for you has Queen Vic’s sole decree,
and we as one will tame the land by chain and by degree.
Let nothing stand within your way, take all for God and crown,
and pave the way you pioneers, take nothing lying down;
to all who hold the sway, ‘pre-emptive right’”.

But soft brown feet had never known the ‘sway’ of any kind,
‘pre-emptive right’ to soft brown feet was life;
against their rights, those soft brown feet were taken and confined
by ‘ships with all unfurled for speed’ and paperwork unsigned.
Then… reservations allocated, rights to roam impeached
and soft brown feet had every human right decreed now breached;
then made to dance the tunes of drum and fife.

… and no-one ever learned a thing about those soft brown feet
and no-one gave a jot… for no-one cared.
And no-one ever taught them much… that’s ignorance complete;
but ‘well to do’ sit back and scoff, and drown in self deceit.
And now, nomadic soft brown feet roam through the city’s push
a long long way away from home and brown feet in the bush;
…yet further from this life ---so unprepared.

...and are they made an equal now to ‘ships with sails unfurled’?
or is it that they’re still the ‘underdog’;
when will they be an equal in this life to which they’re hurled
and still be free to live their culture in their spirit world?
To live the life, have equal rights, to ‘ships’ that came and took
the land where soft brown feet had life that read like open book;
…or will they live, forever, in the fog.

©…croc

I dips me lid to an empathetic and insightful man. Beautifully crafted croc. Thank you

Cheers

Maureen

I totally agree with your astute observation Maureen. ie. 'beautifully crafted'.

Cheeers
Glenny

... and I concur ...

G'day croc.

At last! My waiting and watching has not been in vane. Beautiful thoughts - expressed so well.

It is unfortunate that we 'white fellas' have felt the need to so forth and grab whatever we can. We also have the arrogance to think that our ways are the only civilised ways. I often feel the need for some 'culture' but what is our culture? Beer and footy? I hope not. I know that civilisation is an ever changing thing but will Australia ever catch up with the rest of the world and develop a 'culture' of it's own? And will some folk ever be able to see that other cultures and civilisations are just as valid, or more so, (some have been in place for thousands of years) than their own?

...
I am humbled by your comments, for which I thank you all.
I have a good mentor.

...croc

Whaaaaa, I thoughht I was signed in as me; anyway, I suppose it prevents upsetting 'pre-set internet connections...' Where will technology lead in a few years. We are the technological guinea pig for the next generation.

...c

top stuff croc.
very tops indeed.

h

Thanks Croc bloody good I don't often remark on works of prose but there are exceptions and your's is one. Mind you have a dam good teacher in Glenny and how are you sis after all that packing

Regards Bill the old Battler

...
G'day Bill.

Prose...? Bill; old mate.... don't tell anyone but it's not prose it's a poem. Thanks for taking time over it, and it's happy I am that you liked it.

The packing is going right according to plan... we will have probably one box packed by tonight. If not tonight, then definately by 'after breakfast' in the morning.

Stay well Bill...
...croc

Oi croc, the removal industry standard is 1 standard carton every 15 minutes mate...