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Lisa Bellear: Poetry - a personal perspective Poetry is my life, since I was eight I have been expressing my thoughts in this genre. I write on everry imaginable topic however because of my background and commitment to social justice and human rights I tend to concentrate on: Land Rights, sovereignity, anti-racist strategies, black on black violence, Aboriginal Leadership (?), feminism ( I try to be positive), sexuality, and love. Furthermore, where possible I offer a message of hope. for me poetry has always offered me a way to survive. Since I can remember, I have experienced racism and hate. As a child some white girls and boys would chase me around, call me derogatory names and try to bash me. On the positive side I was a good runner and I could use my imagination and write. In addition to poetry, I write text for photographs, art reviews, short stories, radio plays and I love writing social commentary. For the most part I do not receive payments, but I can live with that. Although I think wow, wouldn't it be great to either be rich or have someone who both loved me and was prepared to sponsor me financially, oh well. My advice to young and new poets is do not listen to people who say 'writing poetry in order to help you heal your spirit is wrong/ not real poetry. If you have been hurt, abused, you need a way to begin releasing that negativity and damage. As a person who has been sexually abused (my white adoptive father), I need a release, poetry helped and still does for me. Okay, so you aspire to be a millionaire poet. It is important to aim high as well as be realistic. Most poets, and yes folks, there are several, do not become millionaires by only writing poetry. Therefore it is good to have a profession, trade or an independent source of income outside of waiting for the royalties to come in. to get published, get active, look around there are journals, magazines, student newspapers. And please, don't sit at home sooking because some elite poetry journal sends you a rejections slip. Remember, there are places and people who will encourage you. Also I know many poets, song-writers are shy but this is something you will have to deal with. particularly when you get to the stage of reading in public or being interviewed for the radio or television. A tip make sure you take a friend and practice reading out loud, the words of your poem. Make sure you don't read a poem with a word you find hard to pronounce. the act of stumbling over a word can detract from the task at hand and you might momentarily lose your confidence. Finally it is vital to have support and interact with people. I believe that poets and song-writers ought to mix with the human race. We need to get out and mix at the grassroots. I mix with Indigenous people throughout Australia. In Brisbane, I hang out at the UQU Women's Area and the University of Queensland Press. Down in Melbourne, I am hanging about the Koori Student and Liaison Unit, University of Melbourne. As well for the past twelve years I have been doing voluntary broadcasting and presenting on 3CR Not Another Koori Show 2-4 pm Mondays, 'live to air' with Destiny Deacon, Janina harding, Kim Kruger, Kimba Thompson. Plus we have several cub reporters who we train - Clinton Naine, Christine Gillespie, Toni Lawson, Moo Baulch, Miff Costigan and we have regular social commentators (via phone link ups) from Vicki-Ann Speechley-Golden in Brisbane and Brenda L Croft in Sydney. We can all feel sad - it is one of those universal emotions. I sometimes look at my friends who share their fears and concerns. I think if only you knew, really knew the hurt and deep emotional scars that so many Idigenous First Nations and colonised people, carry around, twenty - four hours seven days a week. You try like our ancestors to survive and he proud - free Some of us make it and others... I will always comfort my friends It is hard sometime. Some 'white' grrrls cringe at physical contact. I can understand. Anyone who has ever been hurt, abused, laughed at can. but from an Indigenous perspective, we look at those 'white' grrrls and you know we love some of you, we look and think how sad. It's About Love... gives everyone the opportunity to acknowledge via photographs and text the people, pets who are an integral part of our ability to love and heal. Lisa B (17/5/98) Ask Lisa a Question