It Rained Poem

Seeing clouds pass by, watching the plant life die, asking each other why,
some knew ‘Kurangh’ was in strife.

Heavy hearted elders, melancholy sisters, dissatisfied brothers,
sought ‘ngartjis’ to believe for life.

Wanting to reconnect, aware of the neglect and willing to correct,
hope arose amidst regret.

All along the river, ‘Murundi’ life giver, upriver, downriver,
First Nation’s peoples met.

‘Talkindjeri’ dancers, ‘Ngarrindjeri’ elders, river ‘Laklinyeris’,
all met for ‘Ringbalin’.

Bare feet were all dancing, hearts were glad and singing, hoping and believing,
to summon the wet in.

And then the rain began, and it rained and it rained, and it rained and it rained,
till the river flowed again. 

by Isa Brown

Glossary 

Kurangh: meaning Narrow Neck, the name Coorong is derived from.

Ngartjis: Individual, family ,clan or tribal totems.

 Murundi:  Ngarrindjeri name for their Murray River. 

Talkindjeri :  Tangani and Yaraldi speakers used talkindjeri as the name for the Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis),
also name for a dance group. 

Ngarrindjeri:  First Nations people groups of the Coorong and lower lakes area

Laklinyeris: denotes grouping of families connected through kinship and ceremony. 

Ringbalin : meeting or gathering of different people groups; a coming together to reconnect,
trade and share creation stories and ceremonies.