澳现代 - 土著诗人 - Jack Davis

yearshappy

来澳后，逐渐接触一些土著人及其文化，通过阅读，观看电影电视记录片，实地参观等等，兴趣大增。
Jack Davis (1917-2ooo) 是土著代表之一，其诗其剧曾得到很多人的欣赏。

yearshappy

Born in Perth in 1917, Jack spent his childhood in Yarloop. He always had a fascination with words and when he was 10 he preferred a dictionary to a story book.

Before the age of 14 when he began to write poetry as a means of expression, he had worked as an itinerant labourer, windmill man, horse breaker, boundary rider, drover and stockman. The policy at that time was that Aboriginal people were not allowed in the towns after 6pm, Jack refused to leave the streets and was imprisoned for four days. Over the years, he became further enraged by the injustices of an apartheid systerm.

For services to his people he received the British Empire Medal in 1977 and in 1985 became a member of the Order of Australia.

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yearshappy

Death of a Tree        
Jack Davis

The power saw screamed,
then turned to a muttering.
She learned forward,
fell.
A sad abruptness
in the limpness of foliage,
in the final folding of limbs.
I placed my hand on what was left:
one hundred years of graceful beauty ended,
and the underside of leaves pale
belended with the morning rain.
Better for her to have been overpowered
by wind or storm.
That would have been a battle,
a fitter end for such a forest giant
than this ignoble inevitability
because man was involved.
Man is pain.
I walked away and left her,
saddened,
aware of my loss.
Yet - still,
part of the gain.

yearshappy

With screaming of the saw, she, the tree, was cutting down.
one hundred years of graceful beauty was destroyed.

Better for her to die in a nature way
This ignoble inevitability was caused by MAN

sad
saddened

I, woodcutter, have to do it...