Ned Kelly Poem by Francis Duggan

Ned Kelly perhaps the best known Australian though in old Melbourne jail he died dangling from a rope
A victim of years of police harassment he was one born on life's precarious slope
For years the Kelly family were victims of racism by the racist authorities they never really did get a fair go
But what happened to the Kellys is still happening racism has not died as we well know.

It was racism made outlaws of the Kellys but the legend of the Kellys lives today
Their story is known far beyond Australia all around the World in Countries far away
Their sister Kate by the police violated and their mother jailed for a minor offence,
Ned and Dan Kelly with Steve Hart and Joe Byrne became outlaws though police harassment was never used in their defence.

To the underclass the Kelly gang were heroes for with them they readily could identify
To some villians but to the many heroes their legend it would seem will never die
In their last stand at Glenrowan they went down fighting Ned the only gang member taken alive
Shot down through the legs as he wore body protective armour
But at his trial the judgement of the judge he did not survive.

Perhaps the best known of all Australians is Ned Kelly and to die by hanging was his awful fate
When Judge Redmond Barry passed the death sentence on him a
hero for the poor he did create
But from the maltreatment of the Kellys lessons were not learned as society creates new outlaws every day
And due to intolerance that lead to injustice by the so called law upholders disrespect for man made laws the price we pay