5. A Convict's Lament

In this song, the singer sits on the edge of a vast island continent looking both inward and outward. Inwards to ‘home beyond home of all’ and northwards ‘to the East’ - in Australia we still naively describe Asia as the ‘Far East’. The song is at the same time, an inward journey, ‘All journey’s start small, don’t measure shore to shore, for the Night has work to be done’.

A CONVICT'S LAMENT -
I got no sister, no brother, 
No woman, no mother
And my day-dreams are out of sight.

I got no father, no other,
No mystery, no parting
And the nights are welcome within.

There’s no fleeing from the days 
And these ever-changing ways
Of a day that turns into days;

Of a longing to be true,
To speak for me and you,
When it’s not so easy to be heard.

THEME
We look north to the ‘East’
Of Chinese and Japanese
’ Outnumbered 100 to 1

Then onward to The Centre 
Of deserts and inspectors,
the home beyond home of all.

All journeys start small
Don’t measure shore to shore
For the night has work to be done.

In that many-sided Centre
Of the country, of the letter –
words mean what we mean them to mean.

THEME 
So, I say to you my friends
One word of common sense
And the unity is already begun;

What I put to the outside –
a face, a mask, a side –
you should be happy:-
It looks like you too.

As for keeping me within
This body made of skin –
I see through, I know you do too

Oh my sister, my brother,
My wishes for the future –
If only, if only …

Photograph and graphic art by Caro Cosaro of the milky way seen from the South Australian desert

Video by my Italian friend Carlo Cosaro whose stunning imagery can be found at https://www.instagram.com/psyspock/. We hosted Carlo to Uluhru and Alice Springs last July. DREAMING AUSTRALIA is dedicated to the creation of cross-cultural art; of the response to country.

The footage is of Lake Hart salt lakes in the South Australian Desert.

song by Jason Freddi

music by Isaac Barter of Geelong, Vic.

produced by DREAMING AUSTRALIA