I saw them on my way out this morning
Fallen petals
Strewn on the sandstone path
The promise they held just a day ago
Extinguished in a moment
Their pristine white garb now crumpled
By a passing storm that went unnoticed
It happened in the dead of night
While we all slept, silently
The sad petals still here in the morning
Their dreams in shatters
They look up at the other blossoms
On the tree where they all used to live
Encouraged to shine
Until that storm
When it all went wrong.
They care about the Right to Life
But not about her Right to Live
Each petal with its own story
A ‘Promising Young Woman’
Her future career stretching out ahead of her
She weighs her choices
Keep the peace or speak her piece?
The men in the halls of power
Hold her future in the palm of their hands
Good at keeping up appearances
Lauding the Quiet Australians
But deep within, lies
A toxic culture of silence
The misdemeanours of the boys club
Mentioned only in hushed tones
He can always claim he didn’t know
One wrong step and you are on the path to nowhere.