DREAMTIME
Baimbai ol waitman i-singawt long mi: "Eldred."
ELDRED THEN BECAME MY NAME.
long skul, em i-singawt: "Van-Ooy."
VAN-OOY AT SCHOOL.
Behain mi go long haus, em i-singawt: "Abo."
"ABO" WHEN THE DAY LET OUT.
Yar kam na go. Olsem san. Olsem mun.
THE YEARS PASSED BY. LIKE SUNS. LIKE MOONS.
Drimtaim i-kam. Drimtaim i-go.
DREAMTIME CAME. DREAMTIME WENT.
Na ol waitman i-no tokim mi em i-saevi Drimtaim.
BUT NO ONE SPOKE OF DREAMS TO ME.
Em i-tokim nem bilong olkain samting.
THEY ONLY SPOKE OF NAMING THINGS,
Em i-tokim: wan, tu, tri, wan, tu, tri, tasol.
AND NUMBERING.
Wantaim long skul mi tokim drim bilong mi.
ONE DAY AT SCHOOL I SPOKE OF DREAMS.
Tisa i-tokim mi olsem: Mi nogat saevi.
THE TEACHER ASKED
Yu tok Drimtaim long mi, orait, Drimtaim i-stap olsem,
IF DREAMTIME ALWAYS STAYED THE SAME,
Drimtaim i-no stap, olsem de?
OR CHANGED, LIKE DAY?
Mi tok: Drimtaim i-stap olsem de:
DREAMTIME IS THE SAME AS DAY I SAID:
olsem yu, dispela tebal, dispela buk, dispela skul
LIKE YOU, THIS DESK, THIS BOOK, THIS SCHOOL,
olsem olgeta samting i-stap hir
LIKE EVERYTHING THAT WAITS ME HERE
olgeta taim mi wek long dispela rum.
EACH TIME I WAKE INSIDE THIS ROOM.
JAN 1, 1939