Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Visit to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Visit to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall - meaning Summary

Dialogue with the Past

The poem describes a visit to a memorial hall where the speaker senses the presence of historical figures and ancestral spirits. The theatre’s architecture and the figure Lu Yenghi evoke a continuity between past and present, prompting the speaker to imagine possibilities. Standing on stage, she performs a poetry recital that becomes a ceremonial reunion: the living voice acknowledged and encouraged by applauding spirits. It links personal experience with cultural memory.

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“Curtain going up” Echoes and re-echoes Through the theatre. The ghosts from the past Push past me In the dim lit hall. Lu Yenghi1 stands At the back of the theatre, With arms folded, Eyes to the ceiling Of the exquisite dome He created, Many, many moons ago. The past and present Unite within my mind And I spare a moment to dream the impossible. I am standing on the stage Presenting a poetry recital. The hall is packed And I am in my element. The spirits of the past Are applauding my efforts.

Guangzhou, October 2, 1984
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