To be taken away is a lifelong heartbreak
To have no sense of identity
No way of belonging
You know almost nothing about your family
Except…
They were STOLEN!
I imagine my nana, taken from her home,
Ripped from her mother’s lap
As screams fill the air and you see her fight to stay
Her siblings just as confused
Because…
She was STOLEN!
By a government who ‘knew better’
White men in uniforms who truly knew NOTHING!
Destroying families, erasing culture
Having no clue of future ramifications
For an ancient people, treated like animals
Because…
They were STOLEN!
I don’t remember my nana
But through black and white photos
And the memories of my uncle
What happened to her?
Where did she go as a child taken away?
I don’t know, because…
She was STOLEN!
I see history repeating as I look at my life
Placed in fostercare instead of family
Away from our roots, away from country
No guidance or Elders of who we are
Struggling to find the answers myself
Because…
I was STOLEN!
Not the way my nana was but stolen just the same
I feel it every day as we lack the bonds of blood
Taunted by some family; “you never grew up with us” as if it was my fault
Called traitor and coconut
That hurt of betrayal a piercing sharp spear in my heart
Because
We were STOLEN!
Taught to never be ashamed, yet those same white lips called us ‘bloody abos’
As a child you don’t understand
As an adult you understand too much
All because…
You were STOLEN!
The pride I feel in my race and culture
Overwhelms my soul at times
The yearning for my mob and land
So great it shakes my core
But it’s always just out of reach
Because…
We were STOLEN!
Will I ever fit in, will I ever belong
Too white to be black
To tan to be white
Where can this diverse woman exist?
Because I was STOLEN!
Feeling lost, cast adrift just looking
For the anchor of my dad and uncle
But they’re gone now and I move aimlessly
Trying to find my place in this world!
All because I was STOLEN!
I’m grateful I have my God and King
Because of Him I have a home
Not in human terms
But in my heart and for life eternal
That CANT be stolen!
About the Creator
Linda Bromley
Just one of many creative outlets for me has been books! My whole life I’ve loved them and it’s so easy to make the jump to writing.
Recently I completed a poetry challenge and now, looking for more excuses to write, I’ve found myself here!
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