One lifetime is not enough, for all my words – Koraly Dimitriadis

Wog

April 18, 2010 at 10:46 am (Cultural writing (migrants), Poems (PG rated)) (poem, Poems (PG rated), wog)

I’ll punch it out at you.
Yeah I’m a fucking wog –
and?
Yeah my parents are off the boat –
and?
What the fuck you looking at?
Just ’cause you don’t say the word
don’t mean it don’t exist.
Don’t you dare look down at me,
with those condescending eyes,
’cause I’m climbing up there to you –
and past you,
look around you
This is my joint too –
I’m not degraded / just segregated
from you.
This is my joint too –
from the Yarra to the Westgate
from Broadie to your upper class Toorak
from Sydney to Brisbane
This is my joint too –
and I’m not gonna sound like you,
like your intellectual, bland voice,
just to get into your books
and your tv and your cinema.
I’m no Peter Carey
I’m no Neighbours barbie either
I’m me.
Wog.
Australia’s my joint too –
and I’m not going nowhere

This poem has been published in the Varuna/Picaro Anthology and in Southern sun Aegean light: poetry by second generation Greek-Australians

Permalink 11 Comments