November 12, 2008

Social Work Poetry - III

We were offered this poem in my Aboriginal Social Work class just last year. When we got around to discussing it, we all sat around blankly, a bunch of social workers attempting to understand poetry. The confusion was spectacular. Looking at it now, it's so simple. What was our problem? Anyways, hope you enjoy.

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Interview with The Social Worker

It all started because I gave her my best chair with the black velvet
      cushion
embroidered with red roses & she sat in it like it was a disease
She said how can you live like this
I said how can you live like that
she said don't get smart with me
I said I'm always smart I have too many brains
its not my fault       genetics
she said I don't think you're eligible
I said I'm still unmarried she said
that has nothing to do with it I think
I am through here
I said I'll never let you through here
not if I have anything to say about it



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Chrystos. (1992). Interview with the social worker. In B. Slapin & D. Seal (Eds.), Through Indian eyes: The Native experience in books for children (p.59). Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I rather like that poem.

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