Mary Daurio

Photo by petr sidorov on Unsplash

You don’t hear the drums of the past

beating in the wind with the plaintiff music of the First Peoples

You don’t feel the pain inflicted by our forefathers

Deep in your soul, like I do, it doesn’t affect you

You think there is no entitlement

Have heard enough of their complaints

No giving back what was taken

However, in this, you are right; that can never be done

Repartition is a pale brother to justice

But surely, we must feel shame at what was done

We did not inflict the injury, but our ancestors did

If we do not make it right, we are

Just as guilty on down through time

Please let us not fall so hard

Because we will not sway like the willow

And bow our heads and limbs in sorrow

Hard hearts break and shatter on hellfire

Listen, listen close and hear the beat

Reach out and touch our brothers and sisters

From our same Mother Earth

Yes, siblings from the same mother

Wrap your colonialist mindset around that

If you want to be my friend