When is
a bomb
not a terrorist
attack?
When it lands
in the midst
of Aboriginal
people
on Invasion
Day
No outcry
No uproar
No call for
a Royal Commission
Just silence
No politicians
throwing
brickbats
at each other
or claiming
the high ground
Just silence
No media
exposure
No investigative
reporting
No attempt
to tell
the story
behind the Australian
soap opera
Just silence
No discussion
at the annual
BBQ
the local
coffee shop
or bar
No water-cooler
conversations
No “where were you”
when the bomb
was thrown
Just silence
Silence is the
soundscape
echoing
against the blackdrop
of Australia
— a country
trained not to see
what lands
on Aboriginal lives