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States of Poetry 2016 - Western Australia | ‘Yamaji Culture’ by Charmaine Papertalk-Green

by
States of Poetry Western Australia - Series One

States of Poetry 2016 - Western Australia | ‘Yamaji Culture’ by Charmaine Papertalk-Green

by
States of Poetry Western Australia - Series One

Yamaji Culture
A culture worth loving
A culture worth fighting for
A culture worthy of being loved

Why tell me I don't need it?
Why tell me I can't need it?
Why tell me I can't love it?
Why tell me it's not worth fighting for?
Why tell me it's not worthy of love?

Yamaji Culture
I love it – I laugh for it
I stress for it – I cry for it
I fight for it – I believe it's worthy
Of love and respect

I cry when you talk
As the colonisers
Conditioned you to
Talking of a culture to die
Talking of a dying race
When we are very much alive

I watch Yamaji culture change
Adapting to survive
Why don't you understand that?
Why can't you understand that?

Yamaji culture is a culture
Worth fighting for
A culture worth loving
A culture worthy of love and respect
Don't wipe all that away
Hang on – hang on tight
Country men and country women
Our Yamaji Culture

 

Charmaine Papertalk-Green

From the New Issue

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