Remnant
By Ryan Prehn
Published 19 June 2023
remnant /ˈrɛmnənt/ noun
1. a part or quantity that is left after the greater part has been used, removed, or destroyed.
i. a piece of cloth left when the greater part has been used or sold.
ii. a surviving trace.
and for elephants that sing to keep
the cows that agriculture won't allow
hanky-panky nohow
– John Cale
one of the baluk, this old river red
rooted neath the speargrass
she fights, still
against tender regression
transient demise
eco-virgin, Chronos, comes
surfaces for sour air
shortness of breath
lasting centuries
youse gonna eat that?
gaseous slobbering
on composted history
that ruminates, splinters,
‘dieback is for faggots’—
a colonial time-stamp
and muyan remembers
hotly, biel and ballee smoke
the crow, Waang,
watches this young fire
welcome to country
ignore the stagnant, white reek
that interrupts cathartic embrace
for these old girls
hug your very needs
how does that feel, sugar?
obvious and heavy
forced, despite all wants
later it would be better
today might have been special
another day promising
with that easy and obvious love
and casual manner, soon
it would be better
worse, also
the burden you’ve to inherit
is no easier than it has been
writ into your rings
and forced upon our backs
somehow, with love
Note
A Koori Smoking Ceremony often accompanies a Welcome to Country. Three plants are used in the smoking burn:
muyan—silver wattle (symbolic of Elders)
ballee—cherry ballart (symbolic of youth)
biel—river red gum (symbolic of entire community and its access to Country)
This smoke is a physical merge of the old and the new. Visitors to Country pass through the smoke and are cleansed, protected, and discouraged of ill intent.
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