What am I to you?

By | 1 February 2021

Tick boxes, drop down menus
With selected choices and optionally
Always ‘other’
Defining me
You’re Australian, but you’re not
You’re CALD
You’re POC
You’re other, always other
We have categories for you
Boxes, neat boxes, perfect squares
You must fit into
The diversity squares that make up Australia
That you must fit into
Don’t colour outside the lines
There is a palette of ethnicity and diversity
For you to choose from
Pick one or two

Numbers are important
Counting is important
The nation is important
We need to count you
Scientifically turn you into a number
We want to help you, help all of you
Help you belong
You need to belong
Sing our songs and want to belong
We must know who you are,
Who you really are,
Where are you really from?
Not here
Yes, you’re Australian
Everyone here is Australian
But who are you?
What are you?

I’m counted, marked
Over and over again, everywhere
I need to be counted
To make me belong
Only as long as I sing the song
Pushing me further out

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