a heart a heart
a diamond a diamond
a club a club
call it invasion not settlement
call it genocide not colonization
call it theft not establishment
don't call January 26 Australia Day
don’t shy away from telling the truth
don’t say ‘no worries’ say ‘I worry’
for the future of our country, our environment
if we fail to listen and to act
don’t say ‘we’re full’
say ‘we’re open’
call yourself an ally
call yourself a mate
Grade levels
7-9 / Sec. 1-3
10-12 / Sec. 4 & 5 / CEGEP 1
Common Poetic Terms and Forms
Contest Criteria
This short, powerful poem forces us to call it what it is...
Bibliographical info
Ellen van Neerven, "Call a Spade a Spade" from Throat. Copyright © Ellen van Neerven 2020. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Source: Throat (University of Queensland Press, 2020)
