Stronger futures, stolen futures
Stolen Futures
Blessed are you for whom this law was made.
It will show you right from wrongand will teach you good disciplineand, from time to time, imprison youfor you remind us much too much of war and the memory of warand the logic of plunder, stolen futures, forced removals, violated land.(And you too who are not, but who remind us of, the First Ones; youwith the sound of your scored and scoured stories.)We passed this law in the night timeof your mourning.We listenedbut you said nothing.We watched but you did nothing for yourselves.Today we are crying but today and tomorrow, we are readyto take back the future you stole from us. But not with all the love in our bodies and our skies will weever be able to take away the shame from you. That is yours to keep, you who made this law and who screamed without dignity every time we tried to tell our stories to you and who tore out your eyes when we tried to show you what we are determined to create, strong in the plot and the singing of our People. We will take our future.Be assured of that.And you will keep your shame.
Dr John Falzon is an advocate with a deep interest in philosophy, society, politics and poetry. He is the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council Chief Executive and a member of the Australian Social Inclusion Board.