Blanche's Valentine
By Rozanna Lilley
It is only foolishness
to disobey an
outlaw a rambling
gambler with a manly
heart dismounting
he dropped the knife &
fork upset the milk
Emptied flour out of
bags breaking tins of
eggs game to put his
hands on me I threw
up my arms & laid
down laughing (cry surrender)
scattered like rain rolling
Downhill the ground was
very soft a wet spring
mustering mosquitoes
I straddled him &
rolled both spurs into
his thighs the drought of
a dry season shattered
Blooming beauty a
mouthful of dust one
drop of blood the narrow
hipped lustre of morning
the intervening
space quick as thought
a wild vine climbing
People said he was a
decent gentleman (no
common trooper or fat
necked bailiff) I was
branded as plain as the
hands on a town clock
I am not to be pitied
I let him go any
muff can pot a guilty
man any woman
knows it is possible
to swear a lie
I will have as many
more tomorrow what
Pleasure I shall give
fearless free & bold
the only charge ever
proved against me is
that I cannot catch
myself for fear of
bloated body snatchers
Notes on the poem
Blanche’s valentine is a found poem using words and images from bushranger Ned Kelly’s famous Jerilderie Letter, written in February 1879. A transcript of the letter can be found on the website of the National Museum of Australia here. Kelly’s words are rearranged and given new meaning voiced by a young woman, Blanche, a fictional character loosely inspired by my Cornish great-great-grandmother.