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a literary journal published by the Black Earth Institute dedicated to re-forging the links between art and spirit, earth and society

Section 4: Sun/Consciousness/Birth

Leroy Wilson



Dawn of a New Age
Outcaste
Half Caste

Dawn of a New Age

The deathly dry thunder
Sends ripples pulsating
Through vast virgin plains

Native custodians crippled
From the aura of nobility
Dismissing a lonely few

Old men stand foot on knee
Curious, frightened, defensive
Hurting for the slaves on board

Captain is carried to shore
Afraid to wet his shoes
Seeks honour for his queen

Smoke signals scatter the horizon
Igniting a story of ghosts
Decaying on a sacred beach

They gather to spy behind rocks
Crying from disbelief
Women and children in chains

Vicious unfamiliar chest rattle
Echoes throughout the dawn
Baby coughs are dynamite

Old men sing the crackling fire
Devising plans to free babies
From an honourable Queen

Outcaste

Child wanders the outskirts
He don’t belong there
He doesn’t care

Outcaste with his family
His mother a whore
Father at war

His apple judged to be stolen
It’s all in substance
Unseen justice

Child wanders the outskirts
He don’t belong there
He doesn’t care

Different colour to the others
Bleeds red just the same
They burn his shame

Now strong with deep cuts on his chest
He feeds his children
Honest pilgrim

Child wanders the town streets
He don’t belong there
He doesn’t care

Half Caste

Broken spirits, scattered aces
Confused and lost by mixed races
Nomadic movements in no mans land
Crossing borders with hope to stand

From the shackles of insecurity
Confidence entrenched in shame
Comes the mysteries of doubt
And the harshness of blame

Blackened nights in constant screams
Reality is hell, especially dreams
Demonic angel, freezing sun
The privileged curse of which is won

Burning ashes of visible air
Hidden behind a solitude stare
Price of riches, elaborate show
A peasant with leprosy dying below

Leroy Wilson in an Aboriginal (Australia) South Sea Islander (Vanuatu) Australian poet. He was raised in the small community of Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia. Spending the majority of his life in the bush lands of Australia Leroy was constantly exposed to the harsh arid deserts and found much beauty in this landscape.

Leroy is also a spoken word artist and has recently been published in Inkerman & Blunts “Australian Love Poems 2013” and also a featured poet on OzPoeticSociety.com.au

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