Where are you, I cannot see you,
where have you gone!
Where are you little one.
Can you hear me calling? Answer me, please come.
Where are you Mamma, I can’t hear your voice!
I’m frightened, I’m scared, this is not a safe place for me.
Where am I, I can’t see you,
Where have you gone? Please come, come find me.
I‘m worried and frightened now, in this place where dangers be,
have I lost you now for ever, should I continue out to sea?
Can you hear me as I’m calling, if you can please come to me!
Is it your voice I’m faintly hearing, I can tell if it could be.
Listen carefully as I call out, hear my voice, and come here please!
I think I hear you so I’ll swim closer, through the gloom and murky grey.
There is a shape not quite familiar, is it you I cannot say.
Now I’m frighten because its different and for sure it’s after me!
There! Can you see me as a swim towards you now,
Come closer to me, swim fast.
I sense dangers are around us!
So together best we be, united unlike this recent past.
There, now remember that it is better to work hard at keeping close,
As the vastness of the ocean can to easily swollow us whole.
But even just in our little bay we need, to make the effort as you've seen.
As the danger is how easy it can be. Far too easy for us each to drift, to stray apart indeed.
This Prose was inspired by the song Miyapuna from the Djari Project, itself inspired by a Galpu people’s story of a mother and baby dolphin, separated and calling out to each other. Miyapuna is a Yolngu creation song about belonging to place and people, but more now is a calling to First Peoples and non-Aboriginal peoples to work together towards reconciliation and treaty.
https://thedjariproject.bandcamp.com/track/miyapunu
Words and Images Copyright 2022 Kevin Palmer