The Rebellion

• Bailey Keay, Grade 7, Lindisfarne Anglican School -
• Poetry
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

Walking through the charred trees, fighting off the cold,
Heading down the dusty trail, in search of precious gold.
From Ballarat to Bathurst, my luck it has run dry,
I'm starving and I'm bleeding, I’m scared that I might die.
My pickaxe is broken, my shovel is too,
I hate all the food here, the dysentery, the flu.
At least now it's normal, I almost have a grin.
What’s that? A rebellion? Good man, count me in!

We swear by the Southern Cross, to stand together in this fi?eld of moss,
For the right to vote, the licence to go, we will unite come rain or snow.

The soldiers came on Sunday night,
We were asleep, there was barely a fight.
We caught the fi?rst cart, to the trials the next day,
The miners were innocent, we cried out hooray!
We got all our rights, the licence was gone!
And as for the lost, we had two days to mourn.