STOLEN GENERATION - AUNTY MARGE WOODROW

[Maureen K Clifford]

Had this on the old site and was prompted by the post from Cas to repost it along with a video clip interview of Aunty Marge

I have spoken to her personally and she is an amazing lady

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2YouNSLayA




STOLEN GENERATION – AUNTY MARGE WOODROW


Raped as a child, her mother was a pawn of white mans whim
A mixed race unwanted pregnancy the result of this sin.
Girl child was born, more white than black..to neither camp did she belong.
Her black Grandfather let her go…how would she know her song?
For many years as a young girl made a ward of the state,
she lived her life of sorrow, one to which many can relate.
A stolen generation child, her wages stolen too.
An ongoing story of abuse to not just one but two.

This child, a married woman now , with daughters of her own.
She wants better for them. But who to her will atone.
She's worked hard for her money and carried anger in her soul
For the country that had spurned her, and left her heart unwhole.
She never knew her Mother until the fateful day,
she wrote a book, to try and tell her story in her way,
and someone read her story and then read it to her Mum
who recognized the long lost daughter and vowed to bring her home.

Her Mum was in her nineties when finally they met
and sadly just one year remained to share tales of regret.
They had one year of sharing, time for them to make their peace.
Until her Mothers eyes were closed in her last eternal sleep.
And now well in her eighties at last Marge knows the truth.
She was always loved and wanted by her Mum despite her youth.
But though her young Mum wanted her so desperately to stay.
The Catholic Church knew better, and took her child away.

Now well into her eighties Auntie still stands proud and strong.
Right is truly on her side….she has done nothing wrong.
Part of the stolen generation from so many years ago.
and over the years, bitter tears, from her eyes did flow.
No birth certificate was ever held by her till she turned eighty.
No home was owned, her shoulders bowed by troubles that were weighty
and only a sparse education that she had gleaned along the way.
Then stolen wages her reward for her hard labour every day.

But she has right upon her side, she has a will to win.
She has a strong and loving heart to rectify the sin.
She has the urge to fight for right and for what she knows is owed.
And fight she will unto the end…SORRY is just a word.
Her greatest worry now is that the fight wont carry on.
When she and others who were wronged all finally have gone.
Who will carry for her people the fight for justice sublime?
When she and other Elders have returned to the Dreamtime .

Can you not hear her cries, can you not answer the call?
Is she crying in the wilderness, crying for us all?
Crying for her country, crying for her home
Now her tears are all diminished, do we leave her there alone?
Or do we go on together standing firm and standing strong?
A race now free not fettered..a race whose memories are long.
Like a chain linked together..if we stand firm .. refuse to fail
Staying strong though wronged…then surely, surely justice will prevail.

Maureen Clifford ©

[Heather]

Well said Maureen. So much damage was done in the name of religion and the white man's ways.

I think everyone should read the book "Jackson's Track". I can't recall the author. The story of a white man who had an aboriginal family and lived in a humpy on Jackson's Track in Gippsland somewhere. I can recommend it.

Heather

[Irene]

Great poem Maureen - so many very sad stories to tell!

She sounds like a wonderful woman and this is a great tribute to her!!

Catchya
IRene

[Maureen K Clifford]

Thanks Heather and Irene, from the conversation I had with her she appears to be a gentle and dignified lady but with a will of iron. Someone who has had her fair share and then some of hard knocks but is determined to see things put to rights. Her own story is tragic IMO but one repeated many times across our country

Here is her story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2YouNSLayA

Cheers

Maureen