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Book 7 Page 44

These are hard times to be a primitive

These are hard times to be a primitive woman or man.

These are hard times to keep my culture alive.

These are hard times to hold on to the old ways.

These are hard times.

The night time falls, changing from light blue to black.

Scientific man says that this is due to the world turning,

but my culture says this is because the great gods stops burning their fires.

Baby comes, the ‘giver gods’ bring my baby to me,

But white man talks about “biological fertility.”

I do not understand, don’t they see the ‘giver god man!?’

Water hole over there, the ‘water snake’ brings me life,

but white fella says “it is from the underground river scheme.”

Water runs deep in my veins. I think white man’s a little strange.

These are hard times to be a primitive woman or man.

These are hard times to keep my culture alive.

These are hard times to hold on to the old ways.

These are hard times for our views. White man and me are not the same.

© Written by Dominic John Gill www.poetry.net.au   23/10/99  dominicj7@poetry.net.au