Given it is a public holiday in Australia it would be un-Australian for me to work, regardless of the fact that I am not there, so I lazily repost my alleged poem that I have posted on previous such occasions. In Australia you can tell when it is Australia Day by all of the people walking around dressed in Australian flags. Otherwise, you might not know that it is Australia Day, or that you are in Australia. And you wouldn’t want to make a mistake about that, there could be consequences. One day, wearily pushing a pram and dragging some kids through the end of a hot day, I was accosted by two scantily clad girls who yelled in my face ‘Smile! Be happy! Its Australia Day’. I was about to quote some poetry at them, when I noticed two burly boofheads in the shadows, waiting for an excuse to flatten some unpatriotic idiot like myself. So cowardice being the better part of valour, I walked silently away. I still remember when Australia Day was a dusty little public holiday tucked away towards the back of the summer pack after the Big Guns of Christmas and New Year, hey another day off, thank you very much. Now it is a thing. Not unlike a sad party thing. Oh, how I hate being told how to feel! Oh, how I hate not being on a quiet south coast beach like Bulli, not stylish enough for the body fascists (and as yet unnoticed by other fascists). There are things I miss about home. But there are things that I detest. Rosie Batty was named Australian of the Year. Congratulations Rosie. Rosie’s young son Luke was murdered by his father at cricket practice, in public, in daylight, in front of all his friends, in front of their parents. She now campaigns against domestic violence. To read some of the comments on Facebook from her fellow Australians, denigrating her award, besmirching and blaming her, you would think that she was a murderer. Lord, some people should keep their mouths shut. Walking through life without a heart.

…

FLAG DAY

It was Flag Day

so we wrapped ourselves in flags

and went to the pub.

Funny, eh!

Everybody else had the same idea, but.

And all the flags were the same

because we are all Flaglanders.

It would have been nice to wrap myself

in the flag of difference

but I was too scared.

Everyone looked the same.

The fun idea had become

A Sad Party Thing.

It doesn’t matter.

The flag unites us.

Our fear of looking different unites us.

All eyes are wary on Flag Day.

Everyone smiles with their mouths

as they lift their beers,

but all those eyes are looking about.

And those eyes are quick.

You don’t want to stand out.

Not on Flag Day.

There are no excuses.

It is not “I pay my taxes” day.

It is not “I am a human being, I have rights” day.

It is fucking Flag Day.

Alright?

You sad party thing.