In a previous poem here, In Black and White, I mentioned a hot northern town. That was Roebourne.
Back in '89 we (the band I was in, Spinifex) did a gig in the old Roebourne Gaol (Jail) and I opened with this poem.

It was well received and everyone wanted to buy a copy. As it was before my computing days, I had to handwrite every copy I sold. It was a busy night all round.

Aboriginals (mostly convicts) were used to quarry the rock and build the gaol.

It might resonate with QT and Rico.

ROEBOURNE GAOL

Whitefella come and freedom go
From this big land that we love so
He bring'im drink long make us sick
He bring'im strange, big killing stick
Not like boomerang we throw
He hold, goes boom and dead we go
We not do what white man tell
He chain us up in Roebourne Gaol
Hey fella, we help build this humpy
We carry rocks but you get grumpy
Why work faster in this hot
We be happy with what we got
But you come spoil it with your ways
Why you not leave us our happy days?
Why lock us up for what we do
Just 'cos we not the same as you?
You take our womans and make us work
The only thing you bring is hurt
Whitefella, you may never see our merit
But you'll never break our plurry spirit.

WW

WW,

While I've been rather quiet on the boards lately (currently I'm on vacation and happened to have a quiet moment to peruse the web), I must say this is something that also resonates with me.

While I could never say I truly sympathize with (or know) what the aboriginals went through, I can easily put myself into this poem with what we were taught while at Melbourne Uni about Australia's history.

I think you did an excellent job with this and I really enjoyed it.

Two questions- is it pronounced "Row-Bin?" And I looked up the definition, but its still not 100% clear, is plurry a synonym for bloody?

Other than that, awesome poem! I can easily see why you had so many people eager to purchase this piece.

Thanks A,

I forgot that this might strike a personal chord with you too, after your sojourn here.

Roebourne certainly is pronounced much like Melbourne. somewhere between 'bin' and 'bun' according to your own nasal twang.

Humpy is a makeshift shack (a little Aboriginal irony here)

and you translated plurry correctly, of course.

Glad you enjoyed it

WW

Wow....if it were not for the fact that you are in Western Australia....I would have thought that you were in Pre-Civil War American...Plantation like detention center. Your poem read like the "Ole Negro Dialect"...Wow well written and well recieved!

I would have lined up to for one like this WW. Very nice.

Went on and googled Roeburn..ahh, the first thing that popped out was...the highest recorded temperature there was something near 129 degrees Fahrenheit...uggh, pretty hot place!

That notwithstanding, that was some poem WW. Nice.



NW

ww, finely crafted my friend!!
dsk

Thanks guys and gals

I appreciate your comments.

WW