In Reality – the year was 1926
The year of the General Strike.
No food on the table.
No shoes on her feet.
So he took her for a walk –
The man with the piercing blue eyes,
Up, up to the mountain where the sheep grazed
And the little birds darted among the moving grasses
The sun was on her face and a coldness in her heart.
And when the baby grew in her belly
Her dada threw her out
“Don`t bring shame on this family!”
So Mary-Ann Owens took her in
Because somebody had to
And a daughter was born.
She played with Myra as a child and asked
“Why is Myra`s mam ”funny” gran? Where`s her dad?”
“Shush cariad!” Then softer –
“Her mam is a little bit “simple”
And some man took advantage of her.
She didn`t know any better see!”
Then a sigh – a memory.
It was 1930 and many men were unemployed.
But one man found something to do!
In Reality – they were like animals.
Objects to be fed and watered.
John told me what he`d seen
As a lad who came from Clowne,
He`d climbed over the institution wall
And seen
The way the men were taken out
Walking in the grounds to “take the air”.
“Dressed in white sheets they were”, he said
“And all chained together in one long line
So nobody could run away.”
But then - where would they run?
In Reality – she preferred his younger brother
Because he talked to her.
Her future husband - didn`t!
Not then.
That came later.
“Idiot! Cretin! You are slow and lazy!
Guti hai !
Useless bitch!”
When the daughters came along
They were encouraged to do the same.
Not a “love” marriage.
It was “ arranged ”.
In Reality – no child wants to be taken into “care”.
They certainly didn`t!
After all, Rachel was almost fifteen
A woman-child herself.
They had “managed” hadn`t they?
Went to school, came home, had their tea
and went to bed
After playing “out” that is.
But the knock on the door came
And mum and dad were given four hours to get them all ready.
Ready for what?
Ready to move.
Ready to go.
Ready to leave everything they had ever known.
And the crime?
Abuse – NO !
Cruelty – NO!
Neglect – NO!
Suspicion – Yes
Might be neglect – Yes
Sometime in the future. Maybe. Possibly. - Yes!
“Let`s take them.”
“For their own good!”
“For their protection – a better life.”
Better life for who, I say?
Not us.
Not my mum and dad.
An easy option!
It was cruel.
It was abusive.
They neglected to ask us what we wanted.
They shattered so many lives.
In Reality – things are better
No-one gets “put away” now.
Institutions become homes.
But the people you pass by in the street
Those who look just like you
But are not !
To them injustice still happens.
It is help they need – not judgement,
Nor decisions made on their behalf.
In Reality – things are better.
In Reality – we still have a long way to go.
Jan bach.