Red blood was shed as their land was taken
Red graves lie unmarked behind shuttered schools
Treaties flouted through Parliament's rules
With redskins confined to reservation
Red songs unsung and red tongues forgotten
Tear off the scab of self denial
Beneath the skin all our blood is red
Together mourn unforgotten dead
Canada's past is now on trial
Time to reright the Indian File.
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It's Canada Day here tomorrow but like many I find myself dwelling on the darker aspects of our history.
Form - Sonnetina Cinque http://thepoetsgarret.com/2010Challenge/form7.html
clad in black berets and boots
all camouflaged with heavy guns
their armoured jeeps in Indian file
like obedient dogs they march along
faces pale from the burning sun
peasants tender, weak and poor
gaze helpless at the peacekeepers:
what begets this act of war?
give them a chance to make their bread
lend them a voice to sing their song
show them love, let them dream
that’s how peacekeeping is done!