Magistrate Joe Mifsud turned to poetry when delivering a crucial declaration in an inquiry which found that no crimes were committed by the state when 12 migrants perished in Maltese waters over Easter weekend.

After spending 78 pages going through the facts surrounding the case, Mifsud suddenly refers to a little known poem by Victoria T Zicafoose called ‘Walk in My Shoes’ when delivering his judgement.

Mifsud published the 420-page inquiry a month after it began, clearing Prime Minister Robert Abela, AFM Commander Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi and the 11-soldier crew of an AFM P52 patrol boat of homicide charges.

The poem, surprisingly, has nothing to do with the migration issue. There are few records on Victoria T Zicafoose, a poet unknown to even the most literary in the country. However, it’s clear that Zicafoose, an Arizona resident, penned ‘Walk in My Shoes’ because one of her daughters had a severe disability.

It’s a powerful piece, but its context with regards to the inquiry is not even explained. The quote seems more pulled off of Misfud’s Facebook feed rather than a true piece of mediation on the complex issue.

Mifsud clearly has a flair for the theatrical, with his previous experience on television (yes, he was the man interviewing Norman Lowell in that iconic appearance) often coming to the fore.

In January 2019, he played Mike Spiteri’s Fejn tħobb il-qalb while delivering a judgement. A few months later, he was quoting Mother Theresa. 

What do you think of the poem? Comment below