Notes About The Poem
P&O SS Strathnaver 1960
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Boat People
Boat People
by Bob Moore © 2017
We, were the boat people of our day,
from many lands so far away
with Europe in chaos from war and strife
looking to find a brand new life
And so began an ambitious dream,
The Displaced Persons and Migration Scheme
“Populate or Perish” was the catch cry then
come here to live, we need more men
They came without families, left them behind
hoping a better life they would find
and bring them out here later, hopefully when
they found a home, and a job, they would see them again
The Australian Government paid most of the fare
“Bring out a Briton”, by sea or by air
just stay two years, and your debt is then paid
get a job and work hard, your future is made
You need to work, and fit in you know
we want you here, to help us grow
and you need us, for a place to live
so we both have something, to take, and to give
We will not always get along
the ties to our homeland, are still strong
you’ll call us names, we’ll call them back
sometimes it’s just words, now and then it’s a whack
Dago, Gypo, pommie and wog
but be ready to fight if you called us a dog
we’d call you a convict, but you didn’t care
and so friendly insults would fly through the air
That’s how it was built, this homogeneous land
with all the people working, and lending a hand
multicultural is the word, politicians all use now
back then we were just Aussies, and we did it somehow
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