We’re off to Africa
Well, Keith and I are off to Africa for a month leaving tomorrow morning. All part of a course I am doing around responding to trauma in communities. At the moment I just can’t wait to get to Perth and see the ocean. It’s what I miss most living here in the centre. I’m feeling a bit crazy with the stress of organising our world to be away for a month, but I don’t suppose anyone will feel sorry for me. Any way, I’d best try to pack.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (3)My Baby Needs a Shepherd
Following in David and Emily’s footsteps, here is another song for the wanderer………..
My baby needs a shepherd, she’s lost out on the hill,
Too late I tried to call her when the night was cold and still,
And I tell myself I’ll find her but I know I never will,
My baby needs a shepherd, she’s lost out on the hill.
My baby needs an angel, she never learned to fly,
She’ll not reach sanctuary just by looking at the sky,
I guess I could have carried her but I didn’t even try,
My baby needs an angel, she never learned to fly.
Oh I ran so far through a broken land,
I was following that drummer beating in a different band,
And somewhere on the highway I let go of her hand,
Now she’s gone forever, like her footprints in the sand.
Toora loora loora lo
First the seed, then the rose,
Toora loora loora li
My kingdom for a lullaby.
My baby needs a pilot, she has no magic wand
To help her part the troubled waters of the Rubicon,
But in my soul I know she has to go this one alone,
After all that is the only way she’s ever known.
But there is no lamp in all this dark
That could chase away the shadow from the corners of my heart.
I pray she rides a dolphin but she’s swimming with the shark
Out where none can save her, not even Noah and his ark.
Toora loora loora lo
To the cradle comes the crow,
Toora loora loora li
My kingdom for a lullaby.
My baby needs a mother to love her till the end,
Up every rugged mountain and down every road that bends,
Sometimes I hear her cryin’ but I guess that’s just the wind,
My baby needs a mother to love her to the end.
Emmylou Harris
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Sleep Out
Well, last Friday night about a dozen of us slept on the church lawns on Todd Mall in the centre of Alice. We did so to protest a buch of proposed Council By Laws which plan to ban people from sleeping on Todd River, confiscate and dispose of their sleeping items, and fine beggars (now there’s a good idea!!). It’s important to note that ALice has a terrible accommodation shortage and lots of people have to come in from remote communities for a range of reasons , including health care, going to court etc. It was an intersting evening. There was a bigger bunch of us who sat there earlier in the evening but then about half left before it was time to settle in for the night. We had some great placards asking for compassion, including “Begging for Respect” (which Martin wrote). A lot of people approached us and sat down and talked to us, particularly aboriginal people. They would come up to us and ask where we were from and tell us their name and where they were from and tell us about their country and ask what we were doing. Most had no idea about the propsed by laws, despite plenty of publicity. Most were from out of town with nowhere to stay except to camp on the river bed. It was interesting just hanging there on a Friday night watching what happened. Some of it not so pretty - there was drunkenness and one fight between 2 women, one who was obviously pregnant. However, I have to say, on the whole, it was a really nice vibe. One couple who seemed to be new migrants even offered for us all to come to their place for somewhere to sleep thinking we were from out of town with nowhere to stay. A bunch of aboriginal people wanted to sleep with us that night. We lent them blankets and in the morning they all got up and left all the blankets. No one took anything, no one hassled us… not even the police, who just went past. The security guards kept a pretty close eye on us but didn’t aproach us. We possibly didn’t have the best sleep we ever had - the pub closed at 2am and the street cleaners started at about 6am and the Mall remains lit all night… but it was great to do it. I really felt we made more of a connection with people in the town. Some people said they would join us if we do it again. If 4 of us weren’t going to Africa in under a week, I think we would do it again next week. I hope some others might it pick up and run with it.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)black arm band
well this desert festival clicks along. last night i sang in the asanta sana choir with about 4 other choirs. it is a thing morris stuart does up here training a whole lot of different choirs and then we all come together. they were all aboriginal choirs some school kids and others older women. teh older women make this amazing wail in harmony that sends chills down yor spine.
the night got better though. after the choir thing the black arm band played. this was a combination of about 30 unbelievably talented musos (mainly aboriginal including archie roach, ruby hunter. in the middle they reformed the warumpi band with neil murray and company to commemorate the lead singer who died two years ago. it was just the most amazing musical smorgasboard. it was like a whole festival in one band.
but the best thing of all was that i reckon the audience was pretty evenly split between black and white people all just enjoying the vibe together. i cried.
if the black arm band play near you you gotta go and see them. i dont know how they could get that many people together easily but i guess if they can do it in alice springs they can do it in sydney or melbourne.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)dancing in the desert
its currently the alice springs festival and lots of good things happen at this time of year. stella talked me into going to some aboriginal dancing which I have to say mostly i find boring. anyway to be a good companionable husband i went. alas it was nearly finished but anyway there were heaps of people both blackfellas and white fellas which always makes my heart sing. the men were up dancing doing this very masculine stuff and i have to say i found the energy, the people, the dust flying with a full moon in the background over the telegrah station all quite sublime. it was all pretty jolly good. the guy then invited us to dance with them which i really wanted to do but hestitated because, you know, I didnt want to be first. Then the dancer said come on we’ve got to learn your langauge you can learn our dance. well about 200 people got up and we all danced around like total awkward whitefellas but it just felt fantastic being in the hands of blackmen showing us all what to do. it was all a real hoot and it felt like this is what black and white relations should be like.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (1)The Age of Stupid
Last Friday night, a balmy evening in downtown Alice Springs. Olive Pink Botanical Gardens - vego curry and wine and live music under the stars. Sit and chat with friends at the end of a busy and emotional week and really enjoy the vibe. $10 movie shown after - BYO chair or swag or just sit on the dirt and watch the screen on the side of a truck in the gardens. “The Age of Stupid” socks you between the eyes. Nothing new. Just all this global warming stuff and how incredibly stupid we are. The problem of oil and how pervasive it is. Unfortunately, I knew half the audience so, as usually happens, these movies just preach to the converted. It’s an important movie and hopefully many will see it and think and do something different.
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