Don’t Label Me!
a poem by Apiu
This is a relegation against immigration
You have problem with it? Like, this isn't your country!
How do you discover something that wasn’t missing to begin with?
It is us being told that we are threats to neighbourhoods
But don’t forget you ruin continents
It is the innocent voices, not being heard
It is the word ‘terrorist’ being thrown at you like your parents never gave you a name,
It is that little girl sitting over there? Should she feel ashamed?
Yeah I’m grateful! You’re giving me a new life but is this really living?
You’re providing me with oxygen but still can’t breathe
I can’t breathe!
Knowing that I can’t see my family,
I feel sorrow, my mother or father may not see tomorrow
So I’m in this country all alone,
it’s just another day of déjà vu,
because there's no love shown.
You title me like I ain’t more than just a terrorist, a refugee, an asylum seeker,
oh and forget boat person!
I try to fight for myself, but it’s just another terrorist action
and let me tell you this, you'll never hear about it at no election!
Why has humanity chosen to turn their backs, against all these inhuman acts?
So I sometimes ask myself what is multicultural Australia?
Is it us celebrating Australia day but not excepting everyone as an Australian?
Is it us pretending like our national anthem doesn’t state ''for those who've come across the seas we've boundless plains to share''
but why are people still choosing to not be fair?
Ladies and gentlemen I stand here today not as refugee, not as migrant, nor an asylum seeker but as an individual!
An individual that is part of a movement which will hone the diversities of Australia, because at the end of the day we all call this place home!
Youth Ambassador for the Australian Refugee Association (ARA) and Nazareth Catholic Community student, Apiu recently attended an ARA camp. After hearing stories from and sharing thoughts with fellow ambassadors, she wrote this poem ‘Don’t Label Me!’.
Apiu, born in Sudan, shared this poem with guests at the ARA Oration evening - delivered by The Reverend Tim Costello AO and attended by the Governor of SA. Apiu has been invited to share her poem in Canberra later this year.
Students from St Michael’s College have had success in this month’s Brain Bee - a quiz-based challenge about all things “Neuroscience”.
