(edited by Phillip Hall)
I’m not even sure
how to speak
my father’s Country
or tame the river
dog’s cunning drag
to the bog bottom
of reconciliation.
But I tell nieces &
nephews to remember
the way fire gives
space to meaning,
how to blend voiced
and voiceless wattle
ash for the old people
sunrise to sunset.
I tell ‘em everything
a story.
*Feature image by Judith Crispin: Judy Napangardi, Warlpiri law woman among the Kurrkara (Desert Oaks) at Mina-Mina, sacred women’s site, Northern Great Sandy Desert, May 2018
Listen to Luke Patterson read his poem
Luke Patterson is a Koori poet and folklorist living on Gadigal lands. He is interested in the ways bioregional identities and consciousness are expressed through localised and vernacular forms. Luke’s research and creative pursuits are grounded in his extensive work with Aboriginal and other community-based organisations across Australia. You can find more from Luke on Twitter.