voicesofwomen's podcast Lliane Clarke

Gayle Kennedy is an award-winning writer, speaker and presenter and proud member of the Wongaiibon Clan of the Ngiyaampaa speaking Nation of south-west NSW. This  poem is her response to an exhibition of Carved Trees at the State Library of NSW. It is read by, her sister, Victoria Kennedy, also a proud member of the Wongaiibon Clan of the Ngiyaampaa speaking Nation of south-west NSW, an actor and health professional. First published by Red Room Poetry (redroomcompany.org). 

Nea tells the story of her mother Esme, who learnt about nursing on the job in the bush hospital at Baradine.

Wart (aka Jen Waterhouse) plays with text like it's paint. She has lived as an artist working in the visual and performing arts in Sydney since 1980. She has consistently exhibited and worked as an illustrator, designer, cartoonist, painter and performer.

A climate change ‘survivor’ shelters in an archaic coal shaft with five other women, one in the process of giving birth. ‘The light flickers and fades and we feel shame—for all we didn’t do when we still had time.’ 

Jess finds herself speaking of crimes and misdemeanours from a much earlier age, those belonging to a six, ten, twelve-year-old. Those, evidently, belonging to her.

This stolen generations story was written by Kerry Reed-Gilbert who sadly passed in 2019. Kerry was an author, poet, activist, Elder, Wiradjuri warrior and inaugural chairperson of the First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN). The story was published by Us Mob Writing. It is read by Italian Barkindji artist and poet Teena McCarthy, who also performed it live at Voices of Women in 2019.