Ellen van Neerven: Call a spade a spade

These poems are extracted from Throat, the new poetry collection by award-winning Mununjali Yugambeh writer Ellen van Neerven.

Award-winning Mununjali Yugambeh writer Ellen van Neerven. Source: Supplied

Call a spade a spade

a heart a heart

a diamond a diamond

a club a club

call it invasion not settlement

call it genocide not colonisation

call it theft not establishment

don’t call January 26 Australia Day

don’t shy away from telling the truth

don’t say ‘no worries’ say ‘I worry’

for the future of our country, our environment

if we fail to listen and to act

don’t say ‘we’re full’

say ‘we’re open’

call yourself an ally

call yourself a mate

*

Women are still not being heard

for Ms Dhu

women are still not being heard

our bodies ignored

crimes against us approved

sister spoke up

it took her life

in custody, without custodianship

children taken, and land

weeping and lonely

no more women unheard behind the wall

no more women dead over unpaid fines

no more women dead by men

it must end

These poems are extracted from Throat by Ellen van Neerven, published by UQP, RRP $24.99.