Starting on Wednesday 11th April 2018 at the Black Sheep Whakamarama – spoken word poetry. Check out Dhaivat’s video promo.
alchemy
SPOKEN WORD POETRY
Join us every second Wednesday of the month,
6.00pm to 8.30pm
at the
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
Cnr SH2 and Plummers Point Road, Whakamarama
Read your own poems or poems by your favourite poet. Enjoy the power of the spoken word!
Phone: 07 571 8722 021 145 5810
Here’s a poem I wrote as part of a set prompted by my work in the area of domestic violence. At the time of this incident the processes regarding the criminal prosecution of family violence matters were not as thorough and organised as they are today. The Criminal Court would often not be aware of the severity of an assault against a woman or a child and unknowingly immediately release “offenders” back into the community. With the client’s consent, we “appeared” with a group of Refuge Workers and shared with the Judge the reality of the assault and opposed bail. The “offender’s” lawyer was even more enraged than his client.
I’d checked with two senior colleagues about the unconventional appearance I proposed. One eventually wrote to me and told me such an appearance was not permitted. On the day, the other, a longtime advocate of the rights of everyone, told me to just do it: it was a new Judge and he’d be too scared to stop me: and he was. On the second occasion this matter was called, I again asked this lawyer what I should do. He laughed and told me, the Judge had heard me the first time; he had therefore acknowledged the importance of the information, my standing and right to be heard. Everyone, including me, owes a debt to unconventional, persistent and justice-focused lawyers like the late Colin Amery.
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY
My friend pushes me hard against
the wall as he rushes past
“You’re a witch with a pack of dogs”
spits from his contorted face
The women in the courtroom
foyer are both surprised and
accepting of his violence
Together we have returned
his client to the cell of custody
we have thwarted bail
We have shown the reality to
the newly installed judge and
the lawyer didn’t like it
after all he is a man
and we are only women
witches and dogs
Rosemary Balu
