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.

---------------------------------------------

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

by Chrystos

---------------------------------------------

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.