Teesta Review: A Journal of Poetry, Volume 5, Number 2. November 2022. ISSN: 2581-7094
BLAK
Born into the world
Love everywhere, from everyone
All my Pamle[1]
here
Kids need the best start in life.
Foreigner
My home away from home
This garden
Experiences all four seasons
And then some
Alien fruits I’m still trying to
master
Unsuccessfully at times
A ripe fruit
I celebrate this season
My mind wanders to the north
Red hibiscus, fragrant frangipani
I miss you in winter
Surrounded by minus four
Yet joyful to see
Red tulips, delicate jonquils
Hayfever, a small price to pay
In my new home
Spring
Golden wattle falls
On Aboriginal land
The Ancestors smile
Big Spenders
“Which way?”
“Wannem, you make em[2]?”
Smiles, lips pursed
Eyebrows raised
So inquiring
“I gor town[3],”
I reply
“You come too?” inviting
Fingers, hands, signalling
To join me
“Wa[4],
alright then.”
“Wait pas[5], I
get my shoe.”
“Kasa ger,[6]” I
shout after a few minutes
“Hurry up, shop gonna[7]
close at this rate.”
Finally we both set off
Deadly[8] as
can be
To town, on Saturday
Watch out, big spenders are coming!
Ceremony
Ugamalis[9]
sway
To the rhythm of the warup[10]
Kulups[11]
shake, shake in unison
Everyone’s voices raised as one
Late at night
Kids still awake
Chasing cousins outside
Another cup of tea
“Gorn[12]
why not?”
“We’re not in a hurry to leave.”
The night is dark
It’s time to play
The days celebrations continue
Lights are on, here and there
People stay
There’s more ceremony underway
[1] ‘Pamle’ is a Torres Strait Islander word for family.
[2] What are you making? What
are you doing?
[3] I am going to town
[4] Yes
[5] Wait first
[6] Hurry up
[7] Is going to
[8] Aweseome
[9] Island dress
[10] A warup is an hourglass shaped drum.
[11] Hand shaker made up of a number of round shaped seed pods
[12] Go on