Injustice Poem

By Sue Ellson

Without fault
My presence I brought
Without intent
A battle I fought

False allegations
Were laid against me
For being myself
I was judged critically

Favourites breezed through
Authenticity was denied
Hidden daggers were thrown
I was set up to fail and decried

Facts were obscured
My representation a joke
No chance for fairness
Beneath an invisible cloak

Some are protected
Without merit
Whilst some are targeted
And just have to wear it

Why the injustice
Why the shame
Why feel guilty
When I am not to blame

Why the pain
Of power and ego
Why the torment
And the challenges I went through

How to heal
My raging anger
How to stop
Feeling a failure

How to reflect
And process my narrative
How to protect
The wider collective

Slowly, gently
With humble grace
A listening ear
My only solace

But in the end
On my path to maturity
A simple edict
To channel my fury

To prove I can
I will, I choose
I will not be crushed
I will not lose

The human spirit
Cannot be vanquished
Built for survival
It will never be defeated

Somehow wiser
Somehow smarter
Somehow wishing
To help another

Whether I can
Or whether I can’t
To truly be human
I’ll be triumphant

I will pass this test
And many more
My dignity intact
By not keeping score

They may win the battle
But they will not win the war
For I am victorious
And will continue to soar

On 2 August 2024, I attended a networking event hosted by the Whitehorse Business Group. At the event, I started chatting to a person and the conversation moved towards a discussion about ‘injustice.’ We had both had difficult situations that left us with a feeling that we were not treated respectfully and that there was no way for the perpetrators of that injustice to be held accountable for their actions.

Understandably, it was not appropriate to discuss our shared experiences in a public place, so we agreed to meet privately on 20 August 2024 and flesh out our stories in more detail to see how a poem could be used to provide insight for other people going through a similar challenge.

I recorded several specific points from this person’s personal experience in that discussion and I have included most of what I noted in this poem.

This poem was based on a very serious workplace experience involving bullying and intimidation and ultimately unfair dismissal. During our reflection time, this person acknowledged that they had ultimately secured professional help and that the entire experience had driven them to direct their energy towards significant personal achievements.

Unfortunately, this person was not in a position to change the workplace culture or prevent this injustice from occurring again.

I am certain that most people will face a variety of injustices throughout their lifetime.

Ultimately though, as mature adults, we have the ability to find someone to help us through this process.

They can listen to our concerns. They can acknowledge the trauma, grief, disappointment and anger. They can remind us that it is worth moving forward, whether or not we can change the outcome for others (this can be very difficult for some of us to accept).

They can listen as we process the experience and help us create a narrative that allows us to move forward, even if we have found the journey up until now very difficult.

If you have also faced one or more injustices, I hope this reflection can bring you comfort – and I would like to include all people in each situation of injustice – the victim, their loved ones, the witnesses, the co-conspirators and the perpetrators.

You may be surprised that I mention the co-conspirators and perpetrators.

Sadly, these people are often unaware of how they became involved, why they supported other perpetrators or the impact of their actions on the survivors and their loved ones.

They may even feel that they were ‘justified’ in the ‘grand scheme’ of the situation. Or they may even have a background of being a survivor in the past.

Sadly, I have met many survivors who have felt as if they were to blame or that they didn’t do their ‘best’ to manage the situation (for reasons within or beyond their control).

Ultimately, in these situations, nobody wins.

It feels even more tragic when we can’t find a way to ‘make it stop.’

But we can all learn.

We can choose our own path.

We can find the people who care and offer friendship.

We can heal, even if it takes time.

We can carry on.

With love, Sue Ellson 🙂

Photo is of yellow climbing roses in Camberwell, Melbourne Victoria, Australia on 4 October 2024

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