ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I've written the poem below for several reasons. Firstly, because it responds to one of Maureen's homework prompts, and secondly because it uses the sonnet structure illustrated by the Leon Gellert poem in Heather's 'Australian Poet' post. But there is a third reason. I regularly self-censor by deciding that the subject-matter of a poem is probably not suitable for a bush poetry competition. This poem is an example of one I would submit elsewhere. Am I right or wrong?

A Space in Time

At night he’s there, a shadow in my dreams
that tears the heart from innocence and beauty,
for men can worship God, or so it seems,
yet plunder childhood, pleading love and duty.
I am but one of many down the years
from whom the spark of youth was harshly taken,
who know the awful guilt and bitter tears
that stem from future hopes which they’ve forsaken
in moments ripped from life. Who pities them?
Who sees the price they’ve paid and offers kindness?
Who stands with moral courage to condemn
this evil buried deep in pious blindness?
Although long years have passed, that dreadful crime
remains within my soul, a space in time.

© David Campbell, October 5, 2013.

Had you made no mention of anything pertaining to this poem David my immediate thought would have been that you were writing as one of the Stolen Generation children so I would have not perceived a problem with it being entered into anything to do with bush poetry.

Reading again it could equally as well relate to the sexual abuse of children by the religious fraternity. It is sensitively written regardless of which take you put on it - presuming at least one of those is right. Perhaps the ambiquity of it would therefore work in your favour.

So lovely to see your words here David. Thank you for sharing them.

A hard hitting take on a contemporary issue. I don't know if it is suitable for a bush poetry comp or not. In my opinion, it ought to be, I know this issue touched the lives of country children.

Sorry to be contrary Maureen. I think David's poem is unambiguous.

Neville's right, Maureen, it's about the sexual abuse of children, although I can see how it might be interpreted the other way. This is an issue that has dominated headlines for the last few years and yet, in all the bush poetry competitions I've judged in that time, there hasn't been one poem that's tackled it. The same can be said for other controversial issues that have been prominent in the news, such as same-sex marriage and refugees. Yet there are always poems about war. Why is it acceptable, even common, to write about the horror of war (or the stolen generation, for that matter), but not about the horror of something like child sexual abuse? My Nandewar poem (which might be in the upcoming issue of the magazine) is equally hard-hitting, but it's a war poem.

I'd be interested to know if others are making similar self-censorship decisions and what their logic is...where is the dividing line and why is it there? My argument continues to be that traditional verse can be a very effective vehicle for exploring contentious issues.

David

A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.
SALMAN RUSHDIE, London Independent, Feb. 18, 1989

I don't know the answer David - are we totally desensitised by war perhaps - accepting it as the norm, whereas, chld abuse, sexual
deviation, wife bashings, aids are still socially unacceptable to society. Do we fear the repercussions that our words may attract from the weirdos in society, do we think that perhaps we may be considered to have an unhealthy interest if we write about these things? Are we perhaps becoming a nation of people who are embracing a mind set along the lines of I'm alright and stuff you Jack?

So many questions

I thought your poem was well-written, David and I like the structure.

As for the subject matter, personally I could not even attempt to reach a level of empathy for such issues (same-sex marriage, refugees, child sexual abuse). I think you need to write what you know.

Whether it is "suitable" for a competition? I'd say yes, but I'm sure some judges would find it a bit too "avant-garde" for traditional, conservative bush poetry.

I think exploring such subject matter and differing rhyming structures should be encouraged.

Marty

Contemporary and hard-hitting, and I think it is really important we don't shy away from these issues. I'm sure if Lawson were writing today, he'd have written about it. And if we're writing about it, why shouldn't it be OK for competitions? (unless they have a theme, of course).

Thanks, Marty and Robyn. That's a very relevant, thought-provoking quote, Heather!

Cheers
David

It's a thought provoking poem David.