The centre of Sydney hosts a statue -
Queen Victoria at three metres tall,
Patinated bronze, on a stone plinth too;
Fronts the QVB, regalia and all –
A gracious building she endorses anew.
It was Ireland’s history in time of ferment
Which dismissed, removed an Irish sculptor’s Queen;
(In ’48 from front of their parliament).
Later the QVB became very keen,
While the Irish Republic lacked lament…
Happens it’s 1987 and I’m
New to Sydney, when during a stroll
I find positioned there Her Maj in her prime.
One year earlier she was erected whole -
Made like she’s sat there a very long time…
Now, a new political discourse is here:
The return of the Elgin marbles to Greece…
Repatriate the Benin bronzes, you hear?
But Ireland makes no demands for her release,
And the UK has also ignored me I fear…..
“The repatriation of this old artyfart (misprint – ‘artifact’ surely??) is not required by His Majesty’s Government.”
-
Author:
Doggerel Dave (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: January 24th, 2023 00:15
- Comment from author about the poem: Or maybe she could be melted down and made into something more appropriate in the 21st century, like …. armaments…??? This piece barely hints, if at all, at the debate around statue removal more generally – might be worth a look see later…. (Complete rewrite 29/11/25)
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 30
Offline)
Comments4
I wondered why I lost me marbles - Greece nicked them! lol.
Greece ain't got 'em and they want e'm back, orchi - they weren't yours in the first place..
PS: I've just done a Dog Whisperer Course....there's going to be trouble in the orchi household before long.....
I certainly understand the desire for repatriation of treasured artifacts and you have versed this so well. Here in my country we have a slightly different problem, the removal of statues that seem to glorify leaders of the southern confederacy that sought to tear the union apart by civil war. What does it all come down to in the end?
I’m a bit tongue-in-cheek here Bella, because after the restoration of the QVB (saved from developers), in 1967 the hunt for a statue of QV to finish the project went around the world and the only one willingly (very willingly, I reckon) relinquished was found languishing in a decaying building’s back yard. I don’t think Ireland would want it back.
The whole issue of statue removal is a different issue, and while I hint at a future scribble on this, it’s complicated……..
Please note wrong date, which should read 1987.
Sounds like a white elephant gift to me. So sad when your not wanted. Nice write Dave, kept my attention, can I have it back now?
You are welcome, Soren - wasn't a white elephant to the QVB, they wanted it - and I would think the Republic of Ireland was pretty pleased to get rid of it......
it worries me that whole chunks of history are being re-written to satisfy an overly PC world .. we must not try and change just because there are those that don't like the aftertaste ..
Agreed – this is a serious issue, and as I mentioned to Bella, I intend to try to make some sense of it here.
My pin was just a piece of fun after I discovered that QV had not been there forever, but only arrived in 1987 (from Ireland of all places), the year before I turned up in Sydney.
hey you wanna keep that quiet mate .. wot would Syds ma think of the pair of you eh 🙂
I keep a quite low profile in Sydney,..................
don't tell me you've been on a diet you old dog .. 🙂
As a diabetic on insulin I'm always bloody dieting...
Misery guts, am I not? (Nah - not really - well used to it and does keep my path straight...) 🙂
To be able to comment and rate this poem, you must be registered. Register here or if you are already registered, login here.