Dr Paul Collis
LAW-WOMAN
She came from dust, our Law-woman.
From desert heat and endless plain, she was made from smoke and rain.
She came from Dreaming, and held our Law.
She did her business at night where Dreaming is living.
Speaking with Spirit-people, she moved—spirit-shaped and formed.
Kept dead-men things in her Majik bag, that no one but her looked upon.
—Things sacred.
—Things secret.
Law-woman kept our Law safe.
Law-woman kept herself clean—no lie dressed her tongue.
When her waters broke, her child was washed in dust and made clean.
Law-woman was quiet, she didn’t scream when he was born.
Law-woman was quiet when police took her son.
She didn’t call up war.
She didn’t sing-up her brother, Storm.
Her feet stayed still. She didn’t dance-up her sister, Ghost-wind.
Instead, Law-woman sang her own death.
And Death came …
Law-woman’s son arrived before she returned to Dreaming.
“Got somethin for me, Mum?”
Law-woman’s eyes smiled her answer, in tear.
Her smile turned still.
Law-woman!
Law-woman!
Background: My Nan was a keeper of our Law. She was solid, and never spoke out of turn. She did not speak about the Law in jest, or threat. She held it safe to herself and for us. She was a good Law-woman. When her time came to pass into the Forever, she didn’t trust any that the Law would be protected as she had protected it, for her traditional culture had ceased being practiced. Rather than risk any corruption or violation of the Law at the time of her passing, my Nan took with her the secrets and the sacred back to the Dreaming.
This article was first published in BITE Magazine, Issue 4, 2019.
