WARRIORS AT SALT

CREEK

By Francesca Previtali
THE POEM
Why are our modern day
warriors hanging from trees?
As they circle the sun
tides agitate the sand dunes
As muted tongues swell
hatchlings shriek from grassy knolls
Crows gather and walk the sand
This vision can never leave their eyes
As the warriors circle the sun
Will footprints gather in their
shadows?
As they circle the moon
Are we free to cut them free?
The creak of the rope is intrusive
The howl of the wind is a knife
Why are our modern day warriors
hanging from trees?
THE AUTHOR

Ali Cobby Eckermann (born 1963) is an

Australian poet of Aboriginal Australian
ancestry. She is a Yankunytjatjara / Kokatha
woman born on Kaurna land in South Australia.

She has written poetry collections, verse novels

and a memoir, and has been shortlisted for or
won several literary awards. In 2017, she won
the international Windham-Campbell Literature
Prize for Poetry. She has travelled extensively,
performing her poetry.
THE LANDSCAPE
The poem uses powerful imagery
to illustrate the effects of land
eviction on the Coorong from 1830
to 1841.
 The sand dunes' agitation by the
tides alludes to the land's
instability and its relationship to
natural forces.
 The gathering of crows and their
walking on the sand indicate the
pervasiveness of death, loss, and
mourning.
ANALYSIS OF EACH STANZA
FIRST STANZA

The first stanza of the poem poses a powerful question that serves as the overarching
theme of the poem.
While the picture of hanging from trees alludes to the violence and exploitation that
Indigenous peoples have experienced throughout history, the usage of the term
“modern day warriors" emphasizes the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples in
modern times.

Why are our modern day

warriors hanging from trees?
SECOND STANZA
The second stanza is filled with vivid
imagery that highlights the natural world,
particularly the tides' movements and the
cries of hatchlings.
The line gains intensity from the use of
personification in "tides agitate the sand
dunes," and the contrast between the
"shrieking hatchlings" and "muted
tongues" emphasizes the image of both
voicelessness and vitality.
As they circle the sun
tides agitate the sand dunes
As muted tongues swell
hatchlings shriek from grassy
knolls
Crows gather and walk the sand
This vision can never leave their
eyes
THIRD STANZA
As the warriors circle the sun
Will footprints gather in their
shadows?
As they circle the moon
Are we free to cut them free?
The third stanza shifts focus from the natural
world to the human world.
The repetition of the first line emphasizes the
importance of their legacy and the need to
remember their struggle.
The question "Will footprints gather in their
shadows?" suggests the idea that their footsteps
and their fight will leave a lasting impact on the
land and on the people.
The question "Are we free to cut them free?"
suggests that there is a possibility of escape from
the cycle of violence and death.
The poem ends with a powerful image of the creak of the rope and the howl of the
wind, evoking the sound of the warriors' final moments. The speaker's repetition of
the question "Why are our modern day warriors hanging from trees?" highlights the
absurdity and injustice of such violence.

The creak of the rope is intrusive

The howl of the wind is a knife

Why are our modern day warriors

hanging from trees?
THE END