SEARCH FOR A STOLEN . . .

[Cas van Loon]

In hostile landscape, full of danger, no place to be complacent
Lonesome figure plodding along, eyes cast down, body slightly bend
Dressed in cast-off clothing, tousled hair, nothing on her feet
Exposed to vagaries of weather, sun, rain, wind, taking no heed
Her instinct, hooded eyes, focussed on her one and only task
There was a mumbled response about child, if one dared to ask
A darling daughter, stolen by Government people, she would reply
Bereft of all happiness, was bitter towards society and very shy
They had taken her to give her a chance in life, better education
So the better she was prepared to survive in a white man's nation
There was no mention of where, when, nor what they did with her
All she knew was her darling daughter was out there, somewhere
She kept on searching, a picture in her memory was all she had
Of a darling daughter who never knew her real mum and dad
Finding her behind the driving force could be a futile endless search
To give her darling daughter the love only a mother gives at birth
Now one day a young woman was visiting a cemetery in small town
Discovered name, amongst others, on graveside identical to her own
She too had been searching, like herself, for her natural mum
Was this really the end of her search, to the right place had she come?
A sad coincidence how, finally, mother and darling daughter did meet
She, like her mother, wearing cast-off clothing, nothing on her feet
She stood there at her mother's grave, tears streaming down her face
Never expecting that this was end of search, her mum's final resting place

[Zondrae]

G'day Cas,

Hoping to see and hear you at Illawarra Folk Festval... coming up very fast.

[Cas van Loon]

Hello Zondrea, Sorry to disappoint you and some of my fans but because travel expenses, accomodation etc. are getting beyond our means I have confined myself to just the ABPA Forum and my own website (http://www.aussiebushpoet.blogspot.com) to bring my talent to the world. Sorry, but that is life. Love Cas

[Irene]

Hi Cas
Very poignant poem.
It was very sad the way they took children from their mothers years ago - both black and white. However, I guess, at the time, the authorities believed that they were doing the best for the children. In hindsight, it probably wasn't, but unfortunately, we don't have hindsight at the time we are doing things.
The emotions you have captured so well apply to so many young mothers and their children from years back, not to mention the english children that were bought out to our orphanages also, but perhaps was worse for the aboriginal children, as many became very lost between the two cultures. Well done

Catchya
IRene

[Zondrae]

G'day Cas,

I'm sorry to hear this. Your face will be missed, and your poetry too. I'll feel a little lost, no you, no Davd Meyers, no Vic Jefferies, no Greg North (lets hope the latter two may make it next year). .... Some consolations though... we will have Carol Heuchan, Peter Mace and good old Barry Lake so I won't be all lost among strangers.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Enjoyed this Cas - it's a story that needs to be told and you have done it well

Cheers

Maureen