{"id":1607,"date":"2017-08-16T11:59:38","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T11:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rushmore.wpcolorlab.com\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2018-06-13T05:43:20","modified_gmt":"2018-06-13T05:43:20","slug":"reference-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ywrite.cdu.edu.au\/index.php\/2017\/08\/16\/reference-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice for Youth: Original Poetry by Dylan Voller in Honi Soit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Exclusive: Dylan Voller is 19. He sent these poems from Darwin Correctional Centre about his experience in Don Dale Detention. Additional writing by Zak Grieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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In recognition of January 26, Honi is dedicating its platform this week to prioritising the voices of Indigenous people. Find out more\u00a0here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 2016, Dylan Voller appeared\u00a0in Four Corner\u2019s episode\u00a0\u2018Australia\u2019s Shame\u2019<\/a>, which exposed\u00a0the mistreatment of Indigenous young offenders\u00a0in Don Dale\u00a0Detention Centre.\u00a0For the first time ever, here is his poetry.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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JUSTICE FOR YOUTH<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Dylan Voller<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I close my eyes I feel the hits to my head. But don\u2019t get me started on all the abuse and torment.<\/p>\n

I was only eleven years I didn\u2019t know If It was Right or Wrong. But what I know now is theese Assaults went on for way to Long.<\/p>\n

Sitting in that chair with a hood over my head. For the whole two and a half hours I was Just wishing I was Dead.<\/p>\n

I remember that time [name removed] told me to kill myself. I thought about it for days If only you could feel the pain I felt.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not gonna lie theres been times I have cried. And thought to myself am I gonna die in side.<\/p>\n

I have a lot of questions I really want answered. Like why wern\u2019t my first cry\u2019s out for help ever answered.<\/p>\n

Does [name removed] Really not care. Or is [they] telling the truth and [they] didn\u2019t know what was going on in there.<\/p>\n

Why can\u2019t [name removed] Admit [they] was wrong. Instead of pointing fingers and passing the Blame Along.<\/p>\n

The End<\/u><\/p>\n

I would like to dedicate this poem to [censored] all the other Juveniles that were subject to this sort of treatment.<\/em><\/p>\n

And If the People who did this to me see\u2019s this I want you to know that I will never be able to forget it happened because it is stuck in my head. But I have found room in my heart to forgive you as I have also made mistakes and I hope one day I can also be forgiven for my mistakes.<\/em><\/p>\n

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TRUE JUSTICE (RAP)<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Dylan Voller<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen it all in Dondale\u00a0Detention<\/p>\n

But the story I\u2019m telling is beyond comprehension<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You never did anything until it made the news<\/p>\n

So for the last 8 years I\u2019ve suffered long lasting abuse<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In 2010 I was choked with force<\/p>\n

And to this day the screws have no remorse<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At 16 the screws told me to kill myself<\/p>\n

I thought about it for days, no pain like I\u2019ve ever felt<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Strapped to a chair with a bag on my head<\/p>\n

If this went on any longer then I thought I\u2019d be dead<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Verse 2\u00a0<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bridge x2<\/u><\/p>\n

A typical guard is someone that\u2019s hard<\/p>\n

All these young kids need is someone with a heart<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Someone to talk to when times are getting hard<\/p>\n

It was hard to find this in the Dondale guards<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a bad kid, I just had a bad past<\/p>\n

Trying to fit in so I stole a couple cars<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I got stuck in routine, I became instittuionalise<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s far worse in jail, I\u2019m always being brutalised<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Verse 3<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bridge x 2<\/u><\/p>\n

What the government was doing is wrong<\/p>\n

And us brothers took a stand, now it\u2019s time to be strong<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thanks to the journo\u2019s at the ABC<\/p>\n

You put the footage out there for the world to see<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s me that people have to believe<\/p>\n

When the [blanked] Government tried so hard to deceive<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gunner stepped up and made Giles do a runner<\/p>\n

Hoping for some justice from this political newcomer<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bridge<\/u><\/p>\n

Justice, Justice is what we ask for x 2<\/p>\n

\"DOC240117\"<\/p>\n

\"TRUE<\/p>\n

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UNTITLED POEM<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Dylan Voller and Zak Grieve<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dedicated to all the people and families who have been through the system and gone through the struggles, and who have been put down. Stay strong.<\/em><\/p>\n

Zak:<\/p>\n

Judge like the cover of a book<\/p>\n

The whole world thinks they know all they should.<\/p>\n

The public\u2019s addicted to the problem<\/p>\n

Overlooking, if it\u2019s not seen there\u2019s no problem<\/p>\n

Mushrooms fed bullshit, kept in the dark not allowed to live or understand the world we live in,<\/p>\n

Try to fight for our rights,<\/p>\n

only to be cut at the knees and lose the ability to transgress this reality<\/p>\n

You\u2019re reminded that you\u2019re at the bottom of the food chain,<\/p>\n

You\u2019re the fish in the barrel, welcome to the broken reality that doesn\u2019t bother to correct the truth is perception,<\/p>\n

The lie is perceived with the system recidivism is inevitable<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dylan:<\/p>\n

Here I am thinking out aloud,<\/p>\n

About all the times I\u2019ve had to scream out for help,<\/p>\n

Only to be told that I\u2019m worthless,<\/p>\n

If corrections had their way I would be helpless,<\/p>\n

This poem is to the people who stuck by me,<\/p>\n

And supported me while others vilified me,<\/p>\n

I would like to remind the public<\/p>\n

Of the lives that never survived the whole justice system<\/p>\n

I wish to send me love and say goodbye Wayne \u2018Fella\u2019 Morrison<\/p>\n

Because the justice system took his life<\/p>\n

When I seen his story on the news, I couldn\u2019t help but cry<\/p>\n

It reminded me of the things I\u2019ve been subjected to most of my life<\/p>\n

And how lucky I am to have survived knowing I\u2019ll win this fight<\/p>\n

For us who feel we\u2019ve lost our human rights<\/p>\n

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Note from the Editors:\u00a0Honi Soit\u00a0<\/em>would like to thank Dylan Voller and Zak Grieve for allowing us to publish their works.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Today, of all days, we must remember the ongoing and disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous children across Australia.<\/p>\n

First Published in Honi Soit 26 January 2017<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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