Tuesday, June 23, 2020

On the Field

20/06/2020 – Iso Well-Being Compilation

 

Hey, black fella, do your trick.

Kick that ball like we know you can.

But don’t think for even one second

That what happens on this field of play

Allows you to be one of us

And don’t you dare to raise your voice,

We don’t want no uppity black man here.

 

Can you hear the rabid hatred burn

Deep in their heart of hearts?

They can’t bear to be told a truth

That others have known for so long.

 

We weep with sorrow, with grief, with rage

For too many honoured men cut down

By such tiny minds as they

Who cast dispersions based on melanin.

 

Winmar raised his shirt so proud

And pointed to his skin so brown

And in that one iconic frame

Became a saviour and the devil made.

 

His act, not so defiant, yet

A statement to those who would tear him down

That no one could see and then ignore

The devil that day wore skin of white.

 

But the story ends not with one man

And a jumper raised in silent protest

But continues on until this day

With no regard for fellow man.

 

Goodes by name, and deed as well,

Taunted by a merciless mob

Who saw not a member of the human race

But an ape, a beast, a soulless animal.

 

That none saw the horror then

Of seeing who had launched such bile

And none heard the calls from his own lips

For compassion for this uneducated child.

 

Driven from our fair game

By those who hide their face in the crowd

Until another takes their place

And bear the brunt of privileged hate.

 

Betts, the latest in a line too long,

Has born this vilification for too many years

And seen his pleas for equality

Fall at the feet of unfeeling yobs.

 

Though maybe now his words can be heard

When so many take a knee

To honour teammates past and present

Who wore the jumper just as they.

 

Three men of greater character

You could never hope to find

And so easily they could have folded

Into the shame we all must bear.

 

But to their everlasting credit

They won’t stand silent or play the part

Of a performing monkey in a cage

When, on the field, they are the best of men.

No comments:

Post a Comment