Two Poems Of Hope Poem by Douglas Scotney

Kirsten* Steps Up - A Hope

O-I,
suffering from bottles being too dear,
shuts down to just one stack.
Kirsten steps up,
for the citizens of Adelaide,
and knocks down that stack
before it can wrangle a deal,
or the dollar's fall
brings bottles and more stacks back.

*Kirsten, I believe, is Danish for ‘Respect'.
Kirsten Alexander, mayor of Charles Sturt Council, standing for re-election
O-I is the glass manufacturer that shouldn't be here because of how it fouls the air.

The first Great mayor— A Hope

Kirsten's not afraid
of that company
now it's down to one stack;
that company that was allowed in
that never should have been,
that, once it was in,
said get out of my way.

Kirsten's not afraid.
She hits it when it's down,
knocks down that stack,
becomes the first Great mayor
of Beverley, Charles Sturt,
and the whole of central Adelaide—

and throws a party
for all of the long-suffering many,
in the park on the cleaned-up site:
the party and the park,
two rewards
of which Kirsten says,
'It's only right.'

(Kirsten lost her race for mayor,
replaced by Angela,
whose name, I believe,
is German for 'Respect')