{"id":2708,"date":"2019-12-07T20:25:17","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T12:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/?p=2708"},"modified":"2020-06-22T08:06:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T00:06:28","slug":"winner-of-the-department-of-trains-art-poetry-prize-2050","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/winner-of-the-department-of-trains-art-poetry-prize-2050\/","title":{"rendered":"Winner of the Department of Trains & Art: Poetry Prize 2050"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

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– The Train –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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I drive the train I’m proud of that<\/span>
A silver streak against the black<\/span>
Past empty towns, some levelled flat<\/span>
Levelled flat<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The train is long a metal snake<\/span>
Filled with the water that we take<\/span>
To keep the coal mines running mate<\/span>
Running mate<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The train runs smoothly clickety-clack<\/span>
A chain gang waves, We don’t wave back<\/span>
They’ll work and die on Gina’s track<\/span>
Gina’s track<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now past the Pentecostal Cross<\/span>
That marks the many people lost<\/span>
A civil war’s uncivil cost<\/span>
Uncivil cost<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We broke the masses will as one<\/span>
Thought not to hear a soldier’s gun<\/span>
See bayonets flashing in the sun<\/span>
In the sun<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lost one leg in the Civil war<\/span>
One less than Stumpy by the door<\/span>
Least we don’t have to fight no more<\/span>
Fight no more<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Corporation’s good to me<\/span>
A pension once I turn eighty<\/span>
Hard work, Religion, Blessed be<\/span>
Our Southern Cross fought destiny<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

– Soldier Pete<\/span><\/p>\n

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_______________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

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Just a dig at Morrison’s big new idea<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Arts Department has vanished and is now part of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.<\/strong><\/a> <\/span>The man is clearly insane. Country’s burning and this is what he fiddles with.<\/span><\/p>\n

I needed a poem that extrapolated how bad things could get under Morrison and Dutton’s right-wing rule while still remaining something a future fascist government would approve of as prize-worthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coal mining using up precious water<\/a>. <\/span>A Pentecostal State religion<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Fire-scorched flats<\/a><\/span>. Gina Rinehart<\/a> <\/span>having a stretch of railway track named after her. Soldiers firing on civilians<\/a><\/span>. A Civil War<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

All the ingredients for such a dystopic future are already in place. Our Police who have been militarised, favour black uniforms and sunglasses and are influenced by White Supremacists<\/span><\/a>, have just been issued AR-15s.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sound a bit unpolished at times? That’s citizen-killing Soldier Pete’s voice. One of Morrison’s Quiet Australians<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mick Lawless<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    – The Train –   I drive the train I’m proud of thatA silver streak against the blackPast empty towns, some levelled flatLevelled flat   The train is long a metal snakeFilled with the water that we takeTo keep the coal mines running mateRunning mate   The train runs smoothly clickety-clackA chain gang […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[264,135,200,6,145,3,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-by-mick-lawless","category-australias-move-to-the-right","category-bushfires","category-environment","category-military","category-political-issues","category-religion"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t