Island

unbelievable

the following takes place between 7am and 8am ...........

read inside for the rest of the Photo Essay

ABC Stateline did a segment on the painting and decorating of the new courthouse. The article features local artists and some of our kids

Now hopefully the Indigenous people that live here will get housing as well.

Frontline Fatalities

The sound of gunfire rattles away in the night,Soldiers in trenches pumped up for a fight.Attack with forces to kill and maim,Casualties rise as meters are gained.

Over the top it’s time to go,Bullets flying past high and low.Over the top it’s time to die,One last look towards the sky.

The sound of gunfire dies away,The wounded moaning in awful pain.‘Momma momma” a voice cries,The dead and wounded gazing at the sky.

The firing stops and magazines are reloaded,Two days of death lying still and bloated.

Went to war thinking it was fun,Just the pleasure of holding a gun.The thought of fun quickly fades away,As the horror of death occurs everyday.

The firing starts up once again,Of artillery and bullets a heavy metal rain.Soldiers cling to dear earth,Knowing their death will be quicker than birth.

copyright 2006 Winston Seaton

From Dreamtime To Nightmare

A long time ago before white people came,

Black people hunted, Danced and sang.

Different tribes had their own ways,

By living their lives day to day.

A long time ago before white people came,

The Dreamtime Serpant acknowledged black peoples way.

By creating large mountains, rivers and lakes,

The Dreamtime Serpant creates it’s wake.

A long time ago when white people came,

They Saw a society thousands of years unchanged.

A foreign race came and changed all that,

Sacred sites desecrated and tribes attacked.

A long time ago when white people came,

Bringing their law and their violent ways.

Peaceful tribes chased and hunted down,

Massacre sites buried underground.

A long time ago came a stronger race,

Forcibly taking from a weaker race.

The Dreamtime vanished when the singing stopped,

The sign of times when everything was lost.

copyright 2007 Winston Seaton

From Dreamtime To Nightmare

A long time ago before white people came,

Black people hunted, Danced and sang.

Different tribes had their own ways,

By living their lives day to day.

A long time ago before white people came,

The Dreamtime Serpant acknowledged black peoples way.

By creating large mountains, rivers and lakes,

The Dreamtime Serpant creates it’s wake.

A long time ago when white people came,

They Saw a society thousands of years unchanged.

A foreign race came and changed all that,

Sacred sites desecrated and tribes attacked.

A long time ago when white people came,

Bringing their law and their violent ways.

Peaceful tribes chased and hunted down,

Massacre sites buried underground.

A long time ago came a stronger race,

Forcibly taking from a weaker race.

The Dreamtime vanished when the singing stopped,

The sign of times when everything was lost.

copyright 2008 Winston Seaton

Government Wars

In war torn countries refugees flee,

Fleeing governments who commit atrocities.

Their own government who kill and rape,

The truth sealed in political red tape.

As usual the strong stand over the weak,

The rich looking down on the poor’s misery.

Political leaders who sit on top,

Pulling the strings of soldiers and cops.

Private wars are being fought,

Government and guerrilla forces fighting the cause.

Government soldiers are puppets on strings,

Politicians and generals annihilate commie things.

In war torn countries refugees flee.

Their home country shattered no more to be free.

Atrocities committed in the cruellest way,

Civilians massacred and tortured day to day.

Finding a new home in another place,

Wars causing misery upon the human race.

copyright 2006 Winston Seaton

Earthly Death

Terrorist blows up in the name of Allah,

Greenpeace fight to save trees and koalas.

Miners dig into the ground,

Musicians create the perfect sound.

Fire fighters fight fire,

Electricians play with live wires.

Politicians sit around and bullshit all day,

Whingers and bludgers get a dole rise pay.

Dentist fixes and pulls teeth,

A dancers spirit flows from the feet.

A teacher teaches kids to learn,

A match needs a strike to burn.

The earth needs saving from pollution,

Leaders of the world should sort out a solution.

Humans should stop fighting each other,

Animals should live life without bother.

The seas need to be cleaned of oil spills,

Marine animals dying from pollution overkill.

Rivers, swamps and great big lakes,

A parts of the earths living grace.

Everyday people living an everyday life,

Unknown to ignorance the earth will die.

Meteorites falls from the skys,

A repeat of when dinosaurs died

copyright 2007 Winston Seaton

Bwgcolman Future Inc & Combat Wombat

“It’s Paradise”

by Morge and The One Man Army

Palm Island based Community Development organisation Bwgcolman Future Inc, in partnership with Melbourne Hip Hop artists Combat Wombat, and The Sonic Boom Circus Collective, released the new Palm Island hip hop track, It’s Paradise this week in time to support Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Prevention month.

The track confronts issues of domestic violence and suicide that are deeply affecting people here on Palm Island. Based on first hand experience it features true stories over phat beats, telling it how it is and keeping it real on Palm Island.

The track, It’s Paradise, by Morge and the One Man Army, was recorded as part of the April holidays Demand Reduction Program run by Bwgcolman Future Inc on Palm Island. Stay safe, stand strong and look after each other, “Stop domestic violence I’m gonna shout it out now”.

These are voices that need to be listened to, coming direct from the source - this is not a request for an army intervention this is an effort to be heard, by indigenous people 4 indigenous people. As quoted from the lyrics, “it’s all showing in our children’s eyes”, Aboriginal Australia is well aware of the problems communities like Palm are facing but we are still waiting to be asked what we want to do about these issues.

The clip features the beauty of Palm and the sharp contrast between that and the violence some face every day. Staring aspiring Palm Island actress Lizzy G and a mob of locals doing their thing, the film clip is NOW AVAILABLE on You Tube at:

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

The release of this deadly clip highlights the success and need for ongoing Demand Reduction Funding that was intended to continue the youth programs on Palm Island but is now on hold.  The funding allows Bwgcolman Future to run programs here on Palm that gives people the power to speak out and heal some of the damage done through music, dance, art, theatre and circus workshops.

High resolution copies of the clip are available by request, so “Shout it out NOW” and let all your mob know where to check out the latest hip hop from Palm Island.

Contact Svea Pitman (BF Inc) and Isabella Brown (Combat Wombat/Sonic Boom Circus Collective) on 0423 158 368 or email

svea_pitman@bigpond.com

izzybrown@live.com