Poem - "Gypsy Goodbye"

Gypsy Goodbye

For Mamma

                                               Memories clear,

                                               Of Mamma dear,

                                               Singing soulful lullabies,

                                               In my ear.

                                               Violins,

                                               And other strings,

                                               She could play,

                                               Almost all, things.

                                               What happened then ?

                                               That London evening, when,

                                               Vanished, they like the smoke.

                                               I do not ken.

                                               Alone I stand, just me,

                                               At the edge, and see,

                                               The field,

                                               So wide, so empty.

                                               "Get the wood!"

                                               Pappa had said, as he stood,

                                               Towering above,

                                               Imposing, cruel, and never good.

                                               So, I had walked away,

                                               The grass did sway,

                                               Searching for sticks,

                                               The fire to lay.

                                               But hard to find,

                                               I began to wind,

                                               Far from camp,

                                               Then I looked behind.

                                               Hunted from our forest home,

                                               Forced to roam,

                                               Our caravans,

                                               In the gloam.

                                               Those of us who had been saved,

                                               And to Mamma, I waved.

                                               She answered me in kind,

                                               Then I braved,

                                               The narrow streets that were paved,

                                               Searching, then waylaid.

                                               Locked in a room,

                                               And there I stayed,

                                               'Til morning light,

                                               Gladdened my sight.

                                               The door was open,

                                               And I made flight.

                                               Alone I stand, just me,

                                               At the edge, and see,

                                               The field,

                                               So wide, so empty.

                                               So I try,

                                               Not to cry,

                                               Mamma ......,

                                               It wasn't, Goodbye.

                                               text (c) Katherine Stuart 2017

Film - "Three Summers"

Hi Everyone,

This afternoon / evening
I went to the
Sydney Premiere
of the film
"Three Summers",
written and directed by
Ben Elton.

And,
there was a  Q & A  session afterwards
with Ben Elton himself,
and one of the principal actors,
Michael Caton.

It is an engaging film
highlighting the present
socio-political issues
in Australia today.
It makes you laugh
(which can be hard for a film to do)
but is serious too.

Ritz Cinema - Randwick
(Sydney, Australia)

The  Q & A  session
was entertaining in itself !!

And I thoroughly enjoyed both  :)

Ben Elton

Michael Caton

photo of cinema (c) Katherine Stuart 2017

text (c) Katherine Stuart 2017

Cruel Words

(V)    Violence

(M)    Medical Procedures

Cruel Words

Mel,

Am I remembering ?
Is it something that I heard when I was "dead" lying on the operating table ?

Because I think my father shouted at you,

"YOU KILLED HER ! GET AWAY FROM HER !"

Would that be the case ?

If this is correct,
then after I had died (clinically),
my body was still sensing things,
though I was not consciously aware of anything.

This is not what I want, Mel.

YOU DID NOT KILL ME.

My father sabotaged the air line pipe,
by making a cut in it previously and deliberately.
He's responsible for what happened.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO AWAY FROM ME !!

I think this is a good time to show one of my MRI images,
which depicts the damage done to the front of my brain
by the impact of my father's fist on my forehead
(3 times)
when I was 1 year old,
as punishment for playing the piano.

The indentations in my brain, that were left by his knuckles,
can be clearly seen.
My brain has shrunk backwards away from the impact.
Normally, the brain should sit right up against the skull,
so this is obviously damaged.

The MRI also shows damage from other head injuries,
which I can connect to my father.
So, here is the documentary proof.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2017

I Forgive You

(M)    Medical Procedures

(V)    Violence

I Forgive You, Mel,

for what you did to me.

I know that you did not know, that there was no oxygen 

coming through the air pipe and the oxygen mask 

that you were holding over my nose and mouth,

in the "operation".

Did my father tell you to hold it there, tight ?

He was a frightening and cruel man.

Yes, I did suffocate and die.

My heart stopped.

I don't know for how long.

When I was revived, you were gone.

Maybe they used electric paddles to start my heart again.

I think that's why I have always been lethargic, 

with very shallow breathing.

It makes a person weak and tired, permanently.

And there was no transcendence.

I just blacked out, and that was that.

I'm sorry that you had to see my dead eyes.

It will be a memory that you will never get rid of.

Neither of us knew, that that was going to happen.

If we did, we could both have done something to stop it.

But, it happened.

And we both failed.

I think it's important to understand the context of the situation.

You were 12 or so, I was 6.

We were expected to perform duties

that only trained adults can undertake.

We were bound to fail.

We were not then, and are not now, surgical experts.

You won't be expected to help perform any surgical operation on me again.

My father won't be doing it !! 

And Robyn won't be attending as nurse !

(/This message is intended for Mel Gibson, the Actor, Director etc)

The image is from the film, "Flatliners (2017)"

text (c) Katherine Stuart 2017