Photo: dreamstime.com
Tomorrow, January 26, is “Australia Day” a slap in the face to our Indigenous people who remember it as Invasion Day. It is supposed to be a national holiday to commemorate the founding of Australia (as a white colony) under the British realm. I would rather we celebrated our so called nationhood in line with the federation of Australia and found other ways to be more united in a commonly agreed set of values and purpose. In another sense, I am not committed to any flag, I am however, committed to people irrespective of status, colour, religion and creed. In my view flags, nationalism and patriotism are dangerous, and the proof of that is in the daily news!
“Mounting an expedition to actualise a Compassionate Commonwealth of all peoples … is the great spiritual challenge of our time.” Sam Keen
But The Earth Laughs
Someone planted a flag and watered it
with jingoism and platitudes that
had no real connection to anything
let alone meaning
in the truest sense of the word,
people made pious statements and swooned
as if the earth might clap with joy
at the sound of our own voices,
exulting over our claims,
but the earth laughs at us as a
parent laughs at a child who thinks it knows,
until the child grows and
poisons the soil with nationalism,
worse, it murders unity with patriotism
and life wilts before us in
borders, walls and detention
where no one is safe,
and words become blades that
wound and butcher
for the mere sense of a date
or the colour of skin,
and yet we skilfully wallpaper death
like nothing is wrong
and we raise champagne to a
beautiful monied lie,
that fiction of ownership,
that we own what we do not own
be it mountains,
or be it myths and legends.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
I think you nailed it.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you so much Susan.
LikeLike
A great poem that twists our traditional understanding of things on its head.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank Pat for your thoughts, yes indeed.
LikeLike
“we raise champagne to a beautiful monied lie” ….the whole poem is such an absolutely perfect description of my country –how did you know so much about America? Oh wait, you were talking about your country …Great poem!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think we’re on a similar trajectory, with similar goals, our leaders are not listening or seeing. But nor are the people, sigh. Thank you so much for sharing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh Paul, this really resonated! So true.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much Punam 🙂 glad it spoke.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sure did! You are welcome. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
TELL it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Ana 🙂
LikeLike
If only we would care for things as eagerly as we claim them.
Powerful piece, Paul. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Many thanks Sandy for your thoughts and encouraging words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always happy to do so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am touched. Yes, we have a tendency to claim ownership over nature itself by certain exalted notions. Whereas, a sense of brotherhood is important.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, very much so, thank you for reflecting on this.
LikeLike
I am so happy and so honored you wrote this! XOX
LikeLike
Reblogged this on The Mix and BIG ISMS and commented:
Invasion Day
LikeLike
copy, paste, author credited, blog link included. I have to share this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most welcome, and thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very powerful poem, mate. 😉. The jingoism fills me with despair, including how people buy into it. Isn’t it ironic that when big corporations jump the fence to mine on people’s properties (seeing how we only own what’s above the ground) that there is outrage? And rightly so.
Hope you don’t mind my chats, Paul.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, so agree Tracy. I don’t mind our chats at all, I look forward to them 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fortunately for you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, yes indeed. Are you enjoying our extended pommy flag weekend?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t mind a spirited love=in but do we have to do this every year? Taxpayers money and all that …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I think a decade marker might be okay. The money would be better spent on core things like education and health.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And now there is a bushfire in Namadgi NP. It’s hot and windy. Pessimistic me thinks it was some idiot having a barbie. We shall see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw a bloke toss a cigarette the other day, I was surprised the bush strip didn’t catch. I saw the report, doesn’t look good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some suggest the whole lot could go. Then there is the city and of course wildlife stills here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gasp, and yet the resources are not utilised. I cannot believe that as per the treaty, the US offered the water bombers long ago but weren’t taken up on it, still not. There’s no plan, no interest, it’s all just another hot summer, grrr
LikeLiked by 1 person
No way! Really about the water bombers?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed. It came to national attention via the American author and academic, Naomi Wolf who did some digging through the Pentagon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
!!! It was probably rejected because Brian Houston didn’t get an invite to the White House. See, I’ve turned into a bitter, old woman.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, spat me coffee, they just need to pray a little harder, more Huhs (as in those huckster style preachers who say a line then go Huh).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our arrogance will be our undoing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I fear we have wasted too much time already, There’s an urgency for me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
A trenchant commentary on our current state of affairs. The self-righteous posturing for political [read personal] is getting increasingly difficult to bear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’m struggling with the intransigence and denial of so many in power or positions of influence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One people, one earth.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes to that! 🙂
LikeLike
So well written and expressed here. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for those encouraging words Cheryl.
LikeLike
So true. Humans are just a little pimple on the nose of the earth.;-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A sad and disturbing reflection of of our reality which humanity has created
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the madness we have been.
LikeLike
You need to publish this more widely
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike