Karla Dickens’ Return to Sender is a large-scale wall installation in the Public Space at Carriageworks. Below, Karla reads the poem that accompanies her work. Listen now.
Return to sender — the weather is here, wish you were nice
Colonial Post Service delivers
some have a numbered mailbox out front
checking for letters, bills, or a postcard
others live under a tarp, tin, or a tree
the Queen’s stamp postmarked
Wish you were here
some wish they weren’t
just a quick note to say hi
genocide greetings with catchy captions
the mailer is now the jailer
Postman with history haunting mailbags
carrying Australian snapshot souvenirs
senseless messages from the Smiths to the Joneses
when picture postcards don’t need for a word
conjuring loving hate mail
There’ll be no cheques in the mail
waiting on snail mail to deliver unseen sorries
are they as deaf as the post — I listen
I hear — metal chainmail from new poison pens
now sent via email
Return to sender
You can visit Return to Sender at Carriageworks until Sun 30 Jan, 2022.