John James Leathem TRUTH HURTS, for my brother

This doc originally published 2013, Update 2016....

 

It was a month after the Royal Commission he died just about the time I got my thank-you note from the Royal Commission, I just found out 3rd December this month from a stranger on the internet after I saw images of my brother on a group Sydney history site, there he was "the street man" the aimless the hopeless, a great image for any budding photographer or artists apparently because many have taken his image thrown him a beer or two.

So this kind stranger lead me to this FB page Newtown Neighbourhood Centre which has this image

 

Below originally published Sunday 3rd November 2013

When I started my blog it was with an agenda it was not that important for me to let the world know of my family history, as I was content with my sons knowing what I had researched and hopeful we keep it this time.

Everyone has baggage I have enough to sink the titanic, the boat would not even of left the dock, it would have sunk before it set sail. 

So I am unloading my heaviest bag, I am sick of carrying it alone, I want to let it lose on the world and see what comes of it.

I don’t know what will come of it, like throwing dice they land as they will, lets hope mine are not loaded. 

Dear Johnno

No Karma is as bad as this

unborn karma took its first twist

At birth the hang man’s noose

around the neck took the first breath

“Blue Apples a babe is born

No sense no rational most gone

Oh sweet babe born to a mother and fathers despair

This karma they could no share

Mother fights it with induced bliss

Father fights it with his fists

Siblings don’t understand

they wipe you off their hands

So Johnno grows in to a man.

the body did grow But the mind did stop

So Johnno is Tick Tick tock

Can’t keep good time on a broken clock

Poor old Johnno living in a crack

Alcohol broke your back

You’re a man with a mind that did not grow old

Yet you can buy alcohol

I tell no story is a fact

Your body moved on

Your mind kicked back

and given no slack jack

The government not free of abuse

A file here a file there

Here a file there a file everywhere a file file.

Hopefully you will disappear

Go away John Doe.

We don’t know you

We don’t care

We will destroy your files in 7 years.

I have no excuse for what I have done what I could do.

Many long years or so I have been begging too

To a government that has no ears

for a shiralee who’s only possessions are tears

A breath of life,

a hard park bench at night

In the Starlight Hotel

A drunken slumber

Avoid the nightmare hell

Where Johnno in dreams does dwell

Come in alone

Go out the same.

So great your karma

So evil in intention

So peculiar your life’s detention

Trapped by bondage unseen

The scorn of many fell on you

your yoke weighed down by others sins

Undeserving un-forgiven

Go away

Become invisible be no more

you are never to knock on the door 

you will never be allowed in

suffer for your fathers sins

So I say good night to the soul

that will wonder aimlessly

Through a strife filled life

And I sleep with torment dreams of a family history

As I wake in the morning

I peep through my lashes

And my nightmares burn to ashes

The lord my soul did keep

But my brother still wonders the street.




This is a image taken by #Mervyn-Fitzhenry