Poems

Let’s Face The Truth

A poem by Abi DRabi, Sydney, NSW.

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Hey there Aussies let’s be real
As we haven’t been the truest deal

Let’s acknowledge all our faults
Our abuses and our assaults

The way we’ve treated Aboriginal Australians
We’ve killed and tortured and we have maimed them

The guilt is heavy and we’ve carried it for years
Sometimes in secret we’ve cried some tears

But how do we face what we have done
Against boomerangs and spears we used big guns

They had no chance to face our onslaught
And with beer and drugs the rest we bought

We controlled their kids and called them ours
We took them shopping the world to browse

We showed them things that they never knew
Corrupted their minds with things untrue

The rapes and genocide were not a lie
And because we deny it, we all still cry.

Written by non-Aboriginal poet Abi DRabi. Thank you for sending me your poem!

Homework: Reflect on this poem

  • Compare the content of this poem to former Prime Minister Paul Keating's Redfern Speech. What are the similarities? What has changed since then, what hasn't?
  • Explore the sense of guilt that speaks from the poem. Do you think that most Australians share this guilt?
  • What could be done so Australians don't have to "cry" anymore? Think of a neighbourhood, community and national level.

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Cite this page

Korff, J 2020, Let’s Face The Truth, <https://stage.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/poems/lets-face-the-truth>, retrieved 8 November 2024

Creative Spirits is a starting point for everyone to learn about Aboriginal culture. Please use primary sources for academic work.

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