sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Remembrance Day

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Today is Remembrance Day and, like many other people in Australia and around the world, at 11 am I will stop and remember all those who have died in war.

Although we can do this any time, Australians have two particular days on which they do particularly pause to remember – ANZAC Day, April 25 and Remembrance Day, November 11. While the first is important, the special thing about Remembrance Day is that it isn’t just Australians who do it, and it isn’t just Australians we remember. Remembrance Day is observed on the date that the armistice was signed to end hostilities in Word War 1, and is observed around the world – in countries including Canada, Britain, France and more. In the USA it’s known as Veteran’s Day.

I love the idea that around the world people are stopping and thinking of the lives that have been lost, the lives changed, the lives wasted by war. It’s important that we rememember – not to glorify war, not to celebrate ‘victories’ (does anyone ever win in war?) but so that, in remembring the past we remind ourselves of the need to keep working for peace.

All the men, women and children who have died must mean something and, as world citizens, we need to be striving to make the world a better place.

Lest We Forget.

 

Pic Book a Day

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Publisher EK Books has set up a social media challenge for the month of November with the hashtag Picbookaday. The aim is simple: to post a photo of a picture book each day for the month. There is a new topic for each day:

Pic a Day CHallenge EK Books

I’m not going to post here on the blog, so if you want to see what I’m posting, you can follow me on Instagram (@sallymurphyauthor) or Twitter (@sallymurphy).

You can also follow EK Books (@ekbooksforkids) , or visit their website to see what great things they are doing with children’s books.  And it isn’t too late to join in the #picbookaday challenge.

Poetry Friday: Australians All

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Warning: the following post is heartfelt, and a bit political, and very different from my usual poetry posts.

It’s Poetry Friday, and this week the thing that has been on my mind is the Syrian Refugee crisis. There are 11 million (yes ELEVEN MILLION) displaced Syrians, either displaced within their former country, or having fled. And, governments and individuals from  around the world, spurred to action at last, have been opening their hearts and their borders to help these people, many of them children.

Australia’s government was  slow to act, though has finally agreed to take in 12,000 refugees. This is wonderful news, though it should be said that 12,000 out of 11 Million is just a tiny drop. And it doesn’t change the fact that Australia also has many other legitimate refugees (from Syria and other countries) in detention centres both offshore and within Australia, treated like criminals for seeking help.

Anyway, I wanted to respond to my strong feelings about this subject  but every time I tried to write, nothing came out. The only words that came to my mind are the words of our national anthem, which I have been unable to sing proudly since we started mistreating refugees on Manus on Nauru. The anthem speaks of welcoming “those who’ve come across the seas”, yet our Prime Minister talks, quite proudly of ‘stopping the boats’ and that those who have come that way will never have homes in Australia. And our so-called Opposition supports this stance.

So, for today’s Poetry Friday I give you the words of our National Anthem. A poem which once stirred me to feel proud and hopeful. May we be able to sing it, not just for the 12, 000 who we are about to welcome, but for the thousands who are currently being held in detention.

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Because my post is political, I have not added to to this week’s Poetry Friday roundup. But please, if you have time, head over to the roundup which is today hosted today by Robyn at The Deckle Edge.

sallymurphy.com.au