Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Ned and Burka in Broken Hill



Ned and Burka hung around for several weeks in Broken Hill. 
As the name implied, things seemed not quite right there at first. 

Birthplace to mining giants 
BHP and Rio Tinto 
Birthplace to trade unions
Broken Hill's history of violent clashes, 
desperate striking, towering white greed, rich burying poor.....
Ned and Burka read the death lists 
...over 800 names and how each man died
 so many accidents, deaths upon deaths, silver-fried tears
obscene stacks of money for the fortunate few
who "honour" the dead.....now they're all dead
Just like our Ned, a hero when dead
red blood sand
art not words to document the stories
art making me shiver in the heat of the sun
white bone splintering through the skin of the shin
screaming in the middle of the freezing desert night
then forgotten
next evening with that enchanting light
slithering forever over silver-gold horizon...