Thanks, Patrick for reminding me of part 2 which I have combined with last
week’s snap and a little more today to create an omnibus edition.
Reservoir plunge
i The plunge
For the duration of the time you withdraw
your labour from the school at which you work
you are not legally allowed on the premises.
Stand by all means on the street out front.
Wave placards of outrage at passing motorists.
Engage in ritual chanting. Jump up and down.
But don’t step through the gate and enter
that place where you push chalk and ideas
if you are out on strike.
Unless of course it is 1993 and you live
under Victorian Premier Kennett’s yoke
and you want to shake things up a bit.
Unless the minister for state education
at the behest of your tame lackey principal
and in defiance of a statewide union ban
has stepped on to the premises you have vacated.
And the state union president has locked the gates
so the minister’s chauffeur can’t ferry him out.
And you have one chance to confront the man
whose policies have forced you to take extra
kids in your class and teaching periods in the week.
Then your eyes meet the president’s
as you check whether this is a thing to do
and those eyes sit in a head that does not shake.
And clutching the pole that holds one side
of the banner that identifies your school branch
you turn your eyes to meet those of Mary,
Mary holding the other pole and looking
back to you. The eyes have it.
You take the plunge.
ii Confrontation
The kids knew they were seeing something.
On their territory at recess in their school
two angry men in suits faced off against each other.
A dark bearded man was thrusting a microphone
at a clean-shaven older man, dropping question
torpedoes on him as he emerged
from his chauffeur-driven car and slammed
the passenger door, before retreating
through milling students,
his face a mask of mock control.
Hit him, hit him, a refrain picked up.
Such a level of hostility surely led there.
And then Channel 7 arrived.
If you think, clean-shaven huffed to camera
as he shuffled towards the head’s office,
that I lack, pace pace, courage, he continued,
you’re very much, pace, mistaken
and he was gone, into the bowels of D wing.
iii Aftermath
Neither suit was damaged. Both plungers
were moved on. Kids grew into suits, trodden-ons
and just maybe, a couple were prepared to get wet.
(or)
The plungers were assigned
to other paddling pools, the bearded suit
changed lanes and swam on.
The courage claimer trod water
for a further three years
before bowing out.
Kids grew into suits, trodden-ons
and maybe one or two
were prepared to get wet.
* Bearded suit was Brian Henderson, then President of the Victorian
Secondary Teachers Association who moved to being Secretary of the VSTA in
1994. Clean-shaven was Don Hayward, minister for education, 1992-96, former
manager of GMH!
bw
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