My apologies to the families involved. I have written a poem that responds to the Kings Cross shootings and aftermath because I believe we need to keep the issue of police brutality in the public eye. I hope I don’t upset the people directly affected.
The work is a poem, and as such, I have had to create details – mostly to do with the individuals’ lives/stories beyond the incident. For those who wish to know the facts about the incident, please do a search on ‘Kings Cross Shooting’. My poem most directly responds to the controversial video that is so upsetting to watch, I wouldn’t recommend it. For those people who think they can bear it, the video is here:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/bloody-ending-to-teen-joyride-in-kings-cross/story-e6frea8c-1226335294511?fb_ref=rec-top&fb_source=home_multiline
Take care. May those who were injured and traumatised come to a place of healing.
Joy Ride
Howling passenger:
blood cradling his head, police fist
cracking his birthdays: how many,
how many years?
Cameras open their mouths.
Legs dragged through the mess as if that
is going to help
anyone sleep.
They’re lost boys.
The man calling for back-up –
a lost boy,
burnt to a stump by middle-age.
There is a son who’ll hear the whole thing
as often as it takes.
He leaves the passenger
still,
a used rag.
He wipes his hand.
Partner monitors signs, watches
something sinking, some thing
with $3 credit left
and a father.
Lenses swell with blood,
say, ‘They can’t do that’.
Say it again:
‘They’re not allowed to do that’.
Nobody’s brother at 4 a.m.
on a Kings Cross street
wants them to do that.

