Poems

The Bad Man

A poem by Michele ‘Mickey’ Hetherington, NSW.

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The fancy man, he wears a wig, and sits upon a throne.
Casting judgment on our people, he will protect his own.

Families divided, not knowing whom to trust,
Our children lost forever, too many laws unjust.

If we wash away the blood, nothing else remains,
There will never be a sorry that will take away the pain.

We need to fight for justice now,
We cannot lose again.

Michele says about her poem:

"The poem is about Aboriginal people that are not treated fairly by the government, it’s about corruption in the courts and lives that are being lost or destroyed. The Supreme Court needs to investigate what’s going on in local [and] district courts rooms in regards to children being taken, deaths, families separated, and racism that should not exist."

Homework: Reflect on the poem

  • Who is the "fancy man" and what is his throne?
  • Why does he "protect his own"?
  • Compare Aboriginal with non-Aboriginal prison rates and verify if this is true.
  • Re-write the poem from a non-Aboriginal perspective if the "fancy man" was Aboriginal.

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Cite this page

Korff, J 2020, The Bad Man, <https://creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/poems/the-bad-man>, retrieved 9 November 2024

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