Invasion Day

• Anika Morgan, Grade 4, King's Christian College
• Poetry
• 2019

Excellence Award in the 'Inspired 2019' competition

Invasion Day, the day when we had our hearts broken.
Trees chopped, our animals dying.
We think Invasion Day, you call it Australia Day.
You tell us to celebrate.
But no, we will not.
We wish we could have our land back but look at it…
How can we take it back?
It is destroyed.
All I ask for is empathy.
For those of us still hurting, the pain is still real.
You dance on our graves and turn away from our dead.
You laugh because the past is long, long ago.
Still you celebrate and smile as pretty lights fill the sky.
So you ask “Do you celebrate Australia Day?”
No it’s Invasion Day!