Poem
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Waltzing Matildas
a lot can go down
along the 200 red burning
metres of track
between the victory lap
and the starter gun
on the podium,
tommie smith and john carlos
could bow their heads
for civil rights,
and raise their proud black gloved fists
all the way to the sun
kathrine switzer
might register
under an assumed name
for the boston marathon
and just like that, line up
with the men
around half time,
nicky winmar
or adam goodes
could remind us
exactly whose land we’re on
the afl might start a women’s league
and cricket teams could refuse to play
until the UN
convenes
to end
apartheid in sport
whether or not
they will stand
for the anthem
may well be
what a world-class athlete
becomes known for
is the number on your back
worth more
than how you ran
the team home
to gold
in a thought-unwinnable
4 by 1
which
flag
do you fly
serena williams
might nonchalantly keep serving,
and caster semenya
could choose to run on
and all while the crowd brays,
little things
could slowly change
the australian women’s soccer team
could get world-first equal pay
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on November 9, 2019 as "Waltzing Matildas".
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