'My Dad' A Poem by Uncle Jim Berg (2020)

Jim Berg is a Gunditjmara Elder from Framlingham Mission in the Western District of Victoria.
Through his strong belief in his responsibilities to his Ancestors who have walked this Country since time immemorial, he works fearlessly and continuously to improve access to health, legal rights, and to Cultural knowledge and Cultural materials.

Little did people know until recently, that Uncle Jim is also a poet. His poems talk of loss by both Koorie people in general and his own.
His poems connect to Country and Family spanning across the generations, sending his words through to his Ancestors and back again to future generations.

This poem is one of the most heartfelt poems that incorporates loss of Family, loss of identity, loss of Culture, and the enduring love of a Son for his Father.