The Invader

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australia, Australia Day, Australian poet, Invasion Day, poem, poetry

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Invader you call him, this true native son?
When enemies threatened he took up the gun.
His father before him — his father before —
His father before him — they went off to war.

And there in lands foreign these fathers and sons,
They fought the invader — they silenced his guns.
Those men who lie buried far over the sea,
Those fathers and sons, died for you — and for me.

— D.N. O’Brien

A Giant Awakens

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australia, Australia Day, Australian poet, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

𝐀 𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬

You slumbered in the south whilst all around,
The world closed in as daring men set sail.
Before long would your barren shores be found,
As eastward did the roaring forties wail.
These sailors and their nations, would prevail —
Your stone-age people would be swept aside;
Their ancient ways dispersed before the gale.
They’d built no walls to stop the rising tide;
Your moat was crossed; they had no place to hide.
And so did you awaken — and in fright!
As to the world your eyes were opened wide.
You rose from sleep — emerged into the light,
And saw the old ways were forever dead.
Your heart was filled with hope — and too with dread.

— D.N. O’Brien

Invasion Day

Tags

Australia Day, Australia Day protests, Australian poet, Invasion Day, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲

Again that loathsome day has rolled around,
And you strap on your armband black as night.
You’ll march upon the stolen sacred ground.
(And you may do this for it is your right.)
No storm-troopers will put your crowd to flight,
For the invader was enlightened man.
And you may prod him but he will not fight,
And neither will he seek to crush or ban.
And did he make mistakes? Well all men can.
But also he did good — so what instead?
Invaders mad and cruel? You seek to fan
Extinguished fire — the actors are long dead.
Yet you are bitter — shackled to the past.
While most give thanks, your flag flies at half mast.

— D.N. O’Brien

Australia Day

Tags

Australia Day, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, First fleet 1788, Formal poetry, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

Australia Day! Come on! Let’s celebrate
Our liberty, our fairness, rule of law.
The qualities that made Australia great:
The sacrifice in theatres of war;
The mateship that is at our nation’s core.
Turn deaf ears to the ones who would divide.
These weak but wily worriers – ignore.
They’ll crawl under the nearest rock and hide,
And from their lair cheer on the darker side;
Just leave them to their wild imaginings.
We love this land that stretches far and wide.
We benefit from all that progress brings.
Had not those ships sailed in in ’88,
Would such success have been this island’s fate?

Australia Day

Tags

Australia Day, Australian 7th Division, australian formal poetry, Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, limerick, Limerick poem, Limerick poetry, poem, poetry

Australia Day

I’m Australian – a true-born native son,
And my freedom I owe to my father’s gun,
And to all the men who died
Fighting evil by his side;
Those who wore upon their hats, the rising sun.