Why Who What When Where How
Why am I arrested for being disabled
Why am I ignored when my injury is clear
Why am I censored when fighting back with my art
Why am I cut off from life-saving care
Who decided arrest was right
Who decided ignorance was fair
Who decided my art required censorship
Who decided this pain I could bear
What right do they have to discriminate
What truth do they have to fear
What right do they have to neglect
What truth do they not want to share
When will I be normal again
When will Mental Health take due care
When will I be allowed to exhibit
When will my people hear
Where are the protectors of the disabled
Where is the justice out there
Where does anti-violence propaganda come from
Where does the crevasse appear
How has this become so twisted
How do I bring justice to bear
How do I hold the bigots to account
How do I cope through my tears
How do I cope through my tears
How do I cope through my tears
End
Orders take of this poem on canvas $50. Write to Papawai Poetry Press, 12 East Street, Greytown
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JR MurphyEight years ago I suffered a severe trauma as a result of a crime, subsequently my life/brain was turned inside-out, so I went from being a law student at Victoria and businesswoman to an artist on welfare. I paint, draw, sculpt, do puppetry, write plays, poetry and songs. Some of my work is beautiful and descriptive of the good things in my environment, however much of it has become political, expressing my pain and frustration at being unable to access care from health services and the continued discrimination by my community.
I have a disorder called Complex PTSD which is life-threatening, however it also has a very creative aspect. Although it has left me destitute and disabled I believe you should make the most of what you have. I want to share those creative ideas I have had and maybe one of them will be successful and help restore my life and spirit to something like it was before.
