Check Tan (@chequers7.bsky.social)

tzeyikoay on Instagram: "To the few who think I sound ungrateful, know that I LOVE AUSTRALIA. This poem was triggered by the past 24 hours. Despite having b…" To the few who think I sound ungrateful, know that I LOVE AUSTRALIA. This poem was triggered by the past 24 hours. Despite having been spat on and called all kinds of slurs, I love this place and its people. My friends and family are here. My bookish community is here. The vast majority of the people that I have met have been incredibly generous and kind. The "you" in this poem does not refer to yt people in general, but... well, you know who you are. As an author, I don't often share first drafts. The books I write go through a hundred rounds of edits before they see the light of day. But I wrote this poem in a very vulnerable state, and decided to share it in the same. I'm sure it could use finessing, but I felt like being a fraction as careless as many of the cruel commenters and protestors who've been platformed lately. Given the "March for Australia" protests, I've been wondering: should I post this? It's scary sharing any part of yourself, especially when people online feel it's okay to call you awful names and insult your character without having ever met you. But then, I think about how outspoken the worst of humanity can be, and how they'd love to silence us, and realise I owe to my community to use my platform to shed light on how many of us feel, who don't seem to appreciate the impact of words. I also want to remind everyone that the First Nations peoples have been suffering much longer than any of us immigrants have. As the original custodians of this land, I can only imagine how triggering and painful these last few days have been for them. This is Aboriginal land. Always was, always will be. Inspired by the incredible #spokenword #poem of @lucassjoness titled "Send 'em all back" ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOCaH2Dk-6N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link