Anthology of Australian Shorter Texts

KWRSC Year 11 2013

Contents Story

‘American Dreams’ – Peter Carey

‘Postcards from Surfers’ – Helen Garner

‘Christos Mavromatis is a Welder’ – George Papaellinas

‘Night Training’ – David Malouf Poem

‘South of My Days’ – Judith Wright

‘The Surfer’ – Judith Wright

‘The Flame Tree’ – Judith Wright

‘Slate’ – Gwen Harwood

‘The Lion Bride’ – Gwen Harwood

‘Let us not be bitter’ - Oodgeroo Noonuccal

‘Municipal Gum’ – Oodgeroo Noonuccal Song

‘Everything’s turning to white’ – Paul Kelly

‘They Thought I Was Asleep’ – Paul Kelly

‘’ – Paul Kelly

‘From Little Things Big Thing Grow’ – Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly

‘How to Make Gravy’ – Paul Kelly

‘This Country’ – Mia Dyson

‘Took the Children Away’ – Archie Roach

‘Black fella, White fella’ – Neil Murray

‘Treaty’ – Paul Kelly, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Kellaway, Williams, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Mununggurr and Marika

‘’ - Martin Rotsey, Robert Hirst, James Moginie, , Wayne Stevens

Story

Poem ‘South of My Days’

South of my days' circle, part of my blood's country, ‘The Surfer’ rises that tableland, high delicate outline of bony slopes wincing under the winter, He thrust his joy against the weight of the sea; low trees, blue-leaved and olive, outcropping granite- climbed through, slid under those long banks of clean, lean, hungry country. The creek's leaf-silenced, foam—- willow choked, the slope a tangle of medlar and crabapple (hawthorn hedges in spring, thorns in the face stinging). branching over and under, blotched with a green lichen; How his brown strength drove through the hollow and coil and the old cottage lurches in for shelter. of green-through weirs of water! Muscle of arm thrust down long muscle of water; O cold the black-frost night. the walls draw in to the warmth and swimming so, went out of sight and the old roof cracks its joints; the slung kettle where mortal, masterful, frail, the gulls went wheeling hisses a leak on the fire. Hardly to be believed that summer in air as he in water, with delight. will turn up again some day in a wave of rambler-roses, thrust it's hot face in here to tell another yarn- Turn home, the sun goes down; swimmer, turn home. a story old Dan can spin into a blanket against the winter. Last leaf of gold vanishes from the sea-curve. seventy years of stories he clutches round his bones, Take the big roller’s shoulder, speed and serve; seventy years are hived in him like old honey. come to the long beach home like a gull diving.

During that year, Charleville to the Hunter, For on the sand the grey-wolf sea lies, snarling, nineteen-one it was, and the drought beginning; cold twilight wind splits the waves’ hair and shows sixty head left at the McIntyre, the mud round them the bones they worry in their wolf-teeth. O, wind blows hardened like iron; and the yellow boy died and sea crouches on sand, fawning and mouthing; in the sulky ahead with the gear, but the horse went on, drops there and snatches again, drops and again snatches stopped at Sandy Camp and waited in the evening. its broken toys, its whitened pebbles and shells It was the flies we seen first, swarming like bees. – Judith Wright Came to the Hunter, three hundred head of a thousand- cruel to keep them alive - and the river was dust.

Or mustering up in the Bogongs in the autumn when the blizzards came early. Brought them down; ‘The Flame Tree’ down, what aren't there yet. Or driving for Cobb's on the run up from Tamworth-Thunderbolt at the top of Hungry Hill, How to live, I said, as the flame tree lives? To know what the flame tree knows – to be and I give him a wink. I wouoldn't wait long, Fred, prodigal of my life as that wild tree not if I was you. The troopers are just behind, and wear my passion so? coming for that job at the Hillgrove. He went like a luny, That lover’s knot of water and earth and sun, him on his big black horse. that easy answer to the question baffling reason, branches out of my heart, this sudden season. Oh, they slide and they vanish I know what I would know. as he shuffles the years like a pack of conjuror's cards. How shall I thank you, who teach me how to wait in quietness for the hour to ask or give: True or not, it's all the same; and the frost on the roof to take and in taking bestow, in bestowing live: cracks like a whip, and the back-log break into ash. in the loss of myself, to find? Wake, old man. this is winter, and the yarns are over. This is the flame-tree; look how gloriously No-one is listening That careless blossomer scatters, and more, and more. South of my days' circle. What the earth takes of her, it will restore. I know it dark against the stars, the high lean country These are the thanks of lovers who share one mind. full of old stories that still go walking in my sleep. – Judith Wright

- Judith Wright ‘Slate’ ‘Let us not be bitter’

Away with bitterness, my own dark people Come stand with me, look forward, not back, For a new time has come for us. Now we must change, my people. For so long Time for us stood still; now we know Life is change, life is progress Life is learning things, life is onward. White men had to learn civilized ways, Now it is our turn. Away with bitterness and the bitter past; Let us try to understand the white man’s ways And accept them as they accept us; Let us judge white people by the best of their race. The prejudiced ones are less than we, We want them no more than they want us. Let us not be bitter, that is an empty thing,

A maggot in the mind. The past is gone like our childhood days of old,

The future comes like dawn after the dark, Bringing fulfilment.

– Gwen Harwood - Oodgeroo Noonuccal

‘The Lion Bride’

I loved her softness, her warm human smell, ‘Municipal Gum’ her dark mane flowing loose. Sometimes stirred by rank longing laid my muzzle on her thigh. Gumtree in the city street, Her father, faithful keeper, fed me well, Hard bitumen around your feet, But she came daily with our special Rather you should be barefoot into my cage, and set it down: In the cool world of leafy forest halls our love feast. We became the talk of town, And wild bird calls brute king and tender woman , soul to soul. Here you seems to me Like that poor cart-horse Until today: an icy spectre sheathed Castrated, broken, a thing wronged, in silk minced to my side on pointed feet. Strapped and buckled, its hell prolonged, I ripped the scented veil from its unreal Whose hung head and listless mien express head and engorged the painted lips that breathed Its hopelessness. our secret names. A ghost has bones, and meat! Come soon my loves, my bride, and share this meal Municipal gum, it is dolorous To see you thus – Gwen Harwood Set in your black grass of bitumen-- O fellow citizen, What have they done to us?

– Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Song

‘Everything’s turning to white’

Late on a Friday my husband went up to the mountains with three friends They took provisions and bottles of bourbon to last them all through the weekend One hundred miles they drove just to fish in a stream And there's so much water so close to home When they arrived it was cold and dark; they set up their camp quickly Warmed up with whisky they walked to the river where the water flowed past darkly In the moonlight they saw the body of a young girl floating face down And there's so much water so close to home When he hold me now I'm pretending I feel like I'm frozen inside And behind my eyes, my daily disguise Everything's turning to white It was too hard to tell how long she'd been dead, the river was that close to freezing But one thing for sure, the girl hadn't died very well to judge from the bruising They stood there above her all thinking the same thoughts at the same time There's so much water so close to home

They carried her downstream from their fishing; between two rocks they gently wedged her After all they'd come so far, it was late And the girl would keep; she was going nowhere They stayed up there fishing for two days They reported it on Sunday when they came back down There's so much water so close to home When he holds me now I'm pretending I feel like I'm frozen inside And behind my eyes, my daily disguise Everything's turning to white The newspapers said that the girl had been strangled to death and also molested On the day of the funeral the radio reported that a young man had been arrested I went to the service a stranger; I drove past the lake out of town There's so much water so close to home When he holds me now I'm pretending I feel like I'm frozen inside And behind my eyes, my daily disguise Everything's turning to white

– Paul Kelly

‘They Thought I Was Asleep’ ‘To her door’

We were driving back from the country one night They got married early, never had no money Mum and dad up the front and the rest of us snug and Then when he got laid off they really hit the skids tight My kid brother grizzled for a little minute He started up his drinking, then they started fighting ‘Til my big sister told him he’d better quit or die He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids It had been a long day in the countryside She said: "I'm not standing by, to watch you slowly die Playing with the cousins on my mother’s side The sound of the radio closed our eyes drifting across So watch me walking, out the door, out the door, out the seat the door" And then I fell asleep She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out the fucking

I don’t know what woke me up door" Maybe a country song or a big truck passing by She went to her brother's, got a little bar work I could hear my mama and papa talking He went to the Buttery, stayed about a year Papa said something then mama began to cry No more words then, just soft sobs and my head Then he wrote a letter, said I want to see you began to throb She thought he sounded better, she sent him up the I just lay there playing dog breathing slow and deep fare They thought I was asleep They thought I was asleep He was riding through the cane in the pouring rain On Olympic to her door It seemed like forever ‘til the sobbing stopped To her door Then they talked for a little while but just too soft to hear To her door Daddy kept looking at the side of her face He came in on a Sunday, every muscle aching One hand on the wheel and one hand stroking her hair Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit The headlights shining from the other way Showed tears on the cheeks of daddy’s face Did they have a future? I prayed for Jesus to send his grace Would he know his children? And all our souls to keep Back then I believed Could he make a picture and get them all to fit? They thought I was asleep He was shaking in his seat riding through the streets The night was dark and deep In a Silvertop to her.... How I wish I was asleep Shaking in his seat riding through the streets – Paul Kelly In a Silvertop to her door To her door

To her door To her door

– Paul Kelly

From little things big things grow ‘From Little Things Big Thing Grow’ From little things big things grow

Gather round people, I’ll tell you a story Then Vincent Lingiari boarded an aeroplane An eight year long story of power and pride Landed in Sydney, big city of lights British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiari And daily he went round softly speaking his story Were opposite men on opposite sides To all kinds of men from all walks of life

And Vincent sat down with big politicians Vestey was fat with money and muscle This affair they told him is a matter of state Beef was his business, broad was his door Let us sort it out, while your people are hungry Vincent was lean and spoke very little Vincent said no thanks, we know how to wait He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Then Vincent Lingiari returned in an aeroplane

Back to his country once more to sit down Gurindji were working for nothing but rations And he told his people let the stars keep on turning Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter Gurindju decided they must make a stand Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land They picked up their swags and started off walking And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking From little things big things grow Back at the homestead and then in the town From little things big things grow

From little things big things grow That was the story of Vincent Lingiari But this is the story of something much more From little things big things grow How power and privilege can not move a people Who know where they stand and stand in the law Vestey man said I'll double your wages Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand From little things big things grow Vincent said uh-uh, we're not talking about wages From little things big things grow We're sitting right here till we get our land From little things big things grow Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered From little things big things grow You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow

– Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly

‘How to Make Gravy’ ’This Country’

Hello Dan, it's Joe here, I hope you're keeping well this country isn’t mine It's the 21st of December, and now they're ringing the it was stolen ‘fore my time last bells by folks that look like me If I get good behaviour, I'll be out of here by July I was born of their legacy Won't you kiss my kids on Christmas Day, please don't let 'em cry for me and my heart does surely freeze from the stories that I read I guess the brothers are driving down from Queensland of the children and their mothers and Stella's flying in from the coast kicked to death, buried to their shoulders They say it's gonna be a hundred degrees, even more maybe, but that won't stop the roast mend baby mend Who's gonna make the gravy now? I bet it won't taste the heal child heal same mend baby mend Just add flour, salt, a little red wine heal child heal And don't forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang every year that comes around we line the streets standing proud And give my love to Angus and to Frank and Dolly, and we honour fallen men Tell 'em all I'm sorry - I screwed up this time hands on hearts ‘lest we forget’ And look after Rita, I'll be thinking of her early Christmas morning but in the papers we demand When I'm standing in line that the folks who lost their land children stolen history banned should forget and move on now I hear Mary's got a new boyfriend, I hope he can hold his own mend baby mend Do you remember the last one? What was his name heal child heal again? mend baby mend (Just a little too much cologne) heal child heal

And Roger, you know I'm even gonna miss Roger - Mia Dyson 'Cause there's sure as hell no one in here I want to fight Oh praise the Baby Jesus, have a Merry Christmas,

I'm really gonna miss it, all the treasure and the trash

And later in the evening, I can just imagine, You'll put on Junior Murvin and push the tables back And you'll dance with Rita, I know you really like her, Just don't hold her too close, oh brother please don't stab me in the back

I didn't mean to say that, it's just my mind it plays up, Multiplies each matter, turns imagination into fact You know I love her badly, she's the one to save me, I'm gonna make some gravy, I'm gonna taste the fat

Tell her that I'm sorry, yeah I love her badly, tell 'em all I'm sorry, And kiss the sleepy children for me You know one of these days, I'll be making gravy, I'll be making plenty, I'm gonna pay 'em all back

– Paul Kelly ‘Took the Children Away’ And as we grew up oh we felt alone Cause we were acting white This story’s right, this story’s true And feeling black I would not tell lies to you One sweet day all the children came back Like the promises they did not keep And how they fenced us in like sheep Yeah the children came back Said to us come take our hand Yeah the children came back Set us up on mission land Back where their hearts grow strong They taught us to read, to write and pray Back where they all belong Then they took the children away The children came back Took the children away Said the children came back The children away Oh the children came back Snatched from their mother’s breast Back where they understand Said this is for the best Back to their mother’s land Took them away The children came back

The welfare man, the policeman Back to their mother Said you’ve got to understand Back to their father Cos’ we’ll give to them what you can’t give Back to their sister And teach them how to really live Back to their brother Teach them how to live they said Back to their people Humiliated them instead Back to their land And they taught them that and taught them this All the children came back And others taught them prejudice All the children came back Oh took the children away Yeah the children came back Oh the children away Yes I came back. Breaking their mothers heart Tearing us all apart Took them away – Archie Roach

One dark day on Framlingham Came and did not give a damn My mother cried go get their dad He came running, fighting mad Mother’s tears were falling down And my Dad shaped up and stood his ground. He said you touch my kids and you gotta fight me boys Then they took us from our family. Took us away Yeah took us away Grabbed from our mother’s breast Said this is for the best Took us away

Told us what to do and say Taught us all these are white man’s ways But then they split us up again Gave us gifts to ease the pain Sent us off to foster homes ‘Black fella, White fella’ ‘Treaty’

Black fella, white fella. Well I heard it on the radio It doesn't matter, what your colour. And I saw it on the television As long as you, a true fella. Back in 1988 As long as you, a real fella. All those talking politicians Words are easy, words are cheap All the people of different races. Much cheaper than our priceless land With different lives, in different places. But promises can disappear It doesn't matter, what your name is. Just like writing in the sand We got to have lots of changes. Treaty Yeah Treaty Now We need more brother, if we're to make it. Treaty Yeah Treaty Now We need more sisters if we're to save it. Nhima Djatpangarri nhima walangwalang - Are you the one who's gonna stand up and be counted? Nhe Djatpayatpa nhima gaya nhe- Are you the one who's gonna be there when we shout it? Matjini.... Yakarray - nhe Djat'pa nhe walang - Gumurrtijararrk Are you the one who's always ready with a helping hand? Gutjuk - Are you the one who understands this family plan? This land was never given up Black fella, white fella. This land was never bought and sold Yellow fella, any fella. The planting of the Union Jack It doesn't matter what your colour. Never changed our law at all As long as you a true fella. Now two rivers run their course All the people of different races. Separated for so long With different lives in different places. I'm dreaming of a brighter day It doesn't matter, which religions. When the waters will be one It's all the same when the, ship is sinking. Treaty Yeah Treaty Now Treaty Yeah Treaty Now We need more brothers, if we're to make it. Treaty Yeah Treaty Now Treaty Yeah Treaty Now We need more sisters, if we're to save it. Nhima djatpa nhe walang Are you the one that's gonna stand up and be counted? gumurrtjararrk yawirriny Nhe gaya nhe matjini Are you the one who's gonna be there when we shout it? Gaya nhe matjini Gaya gaya nhe gaya nhe Are you the one that's always ready with a helping hand? Matjini walangwalang Nhema djatpa nhe walang - Nhe Are you the one who understands these family plans? gumurrtjarrk nhe ya-

Stand up, stand up and be counted. Promises - Disappear - Priceless land - Destiny - Stand up, stand up and be counted. Well I heard it on the Radio - And I saw it on the Television Are you the one that's always ready with a helping hand? But promises can disappear just like writing in the sand Are you the one who understands these family plans? Treaty Yeah – Neil Murray Treaty Now ...

– Paul Kelly, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Kellaway, Williams, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Mununggurr and Marika

‘Blue Sky Mine’

There'll be food on the table tonight There'll be pay in your pocket tonight

My gut is wrenched out it is crunched up and broken My life that is lived is no more than a token Who'll strike the flint upon the stone and tell me why?

If I yell out at night there's a reply of blue silence The screen is no comfort I can't speak my sentence They blew the lights at heaven's gate and I don't know why

But if I work all day on the blue sky mine (There'll be food on the table tonight) Still I walk up and down on the blue sky mine (There'll be pay in your pocket tonight)

The candy store paupers lie to the shareholders They're crossing their fingers they pay the truth makers The balance sheet is breaking up the sky

So I'm caught at the junction still waiting for medicine The sweat of my brow keeps on feeding the engine Hope the crumbs in my pocket can keep me for another night

And if you company won't come to my rescue If the sugar refining company won't save me

Who's gonna save me?

But if I work all day on the blue sky mine (There'll be food on the table tonight) And if I walk up and down on the blue sky mine (There'll be pay in your pocket tonight) And some have sailed from a distant shore And the company takes what the company wants And nothing's as precious As a hole in the ground

Who's gonna save me? I pray that sense and reason brings us in Who's gonna save me? We've got nothing to fear

In the end the rain comes down Washes clean the streets of a blue sky mine

- Martin Rotsey, Robert Hirst, James Moginie, Peter Garrett, Wayne Stevens