When Laws Collide, Mägaya Peace In Yolngu Or Yolŋu Australia Poem by Kimberly Burnham

"Mägaya mäwaya"
one of the first words we learn
a woman in Yirrkala tells
peace peace
a legal term meaning the state of peace
achieved when laws are in place

If you've ever been down to a lake
or the sea in the morning
it's perfectly flat
that's "magaya mawaya"

Law creates that peace
you are protected
everything is ŋoy-dharraḏa
emotionally serene
at peace calm
and burrmiḏi peaceful
or mutitj calm and peaceful
beḻaŋ calm and quiet

But when two systems of law
operate in one community
tranquillity is not
the new conflicts
with law and order
that's been there
in Australia
for 40,000 years