Black child’s soft mouth atremble,
Angry tears in innocent eyes.
Agony in a mother’s heart.
As they hear the white man’s lies.
Black child is hurt, and puzzled,
‘But Mother loves you, Son’, she cries.
But all a mother’s love can’t dry
The tears in a black child’s eyes.
Child grows older, and he’s off to school
Mother waves her babe goodbye.
Faltering smile upon her lips.
But tears shine in her eyes.
And there’s anger in a brother’s fists
And shame in a father’s heart,
That he sees his people suffer so.
And a black child’s world falls apart.
And he sees all the black man’s truths.
Distorted by white man’s lies
Poor innocent, helpless, wounded babes.
With tears in their big dark eyes.
Oh, I’d cut out my heart and lay at your feet.
And I’d rip the stars from the blue,
I’d spit on the sun and put out its light.
If I could keep all this hurt from you.
Flesh of my flesh.
And blood of my blood.
You never hear how my aching heart cries.
To a people too cruel.
Too blind to see.
The tears in a black child’s eyes.
Maureen Watson (1931 – 2009), was an Aboriginal rights activist, actor, vocalist, writer, musician and storyteller.
