A LITERARY JOURNAL PUBLISHING STANDOUT TEEN WRITERS AGES 13-19
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White Clover Roots
by Erin Coull (Australia)
May 2023
Audio: “White Clover Roots,” read by Clare McFadden
How can I call myself Australian
when I live on stolen land?
These white-clover roots of mine
are weeds in the sun-scorched soil,
strangling the buttongrass,
Crowding out the honey reed.
So give me your blessing, iron-red dirt—
Open your arms and tell me I'm home
Or spit me out of this land forever.
And how can I call myself Australian
when I don't even know what that means?
This blood of mine is pasteurised,
boiled down from Ireland, England, Scotland and France—
I don't belong here;
but my homelands were never mine either.
So give me your blessing, o vast night sky
Or guide me away through the gaps between stars,
To some place I can really call mine.
Note: “Gaps between stars” is a reference to Australian Indigenous astronomy, the art of charting not the stars themselves, but the dark spaces in between.
Erin Coull, age 17, is a performance poet and podcaster living in lutruwita, Australia. Her work explores culture, place, relationships and moths.
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Vee
3/9/24, 12:43 AM
This was absolutely a good read! 😃
Ushing Mya
11/24/23, 4:42 PM
I'm amazed by your deep perception towards little things of life! Keep glowing dear Taieba.
Fatima Ismail
10/4/23, 10:28 AM
I'll like to see more of your writing
Fatima Ismail
10/4/23, 10:26 AM
Gsk I love it!
dont care
10/3/23, 7:58 PM
womp womp
Andrea
9/29/23, 2:03 AM
Andrea
9/29/23, 2:03 AM
Wow..just wow. Ridiculous words I know. I just stumbled across your poem as this is my first time on the website and I landed this masterpiece. As an immigrant myself, I could relate to several aspects of this. Your use of imagery, symbolism, and allusion is outstanding
Lola
9/17/23, 8:43 AM
Powerful. Spreading the truth some don't think about, some don't have to worry about. A great and strong piece.
9/16/23, 2:41 AM
9/16/23, 2:41 AM
9/16/23, 2:41 AM
Aisha Yaakub
8/25/23, 10:35 PM
Excellent and amazing