At Lesley's funeral, Chloe had a single rose put on the coffin. As the coffin was carried into the crematorium, we all saw that the rose was shrivelled as though it had already been through the furnace.

Just one single rose was placed, then died,
Killed by the anger,
anger, anger

And frustration inside.

"You whore! You whore!"

Was what I heard,

When all that I wanted

Was a comforting word.

Three months before she died, Lesley told me that her mother had thrown her out, (about 1973), screaming at her that she was a whore and that she cursed her.

Lesley had a small motor bike. She said that as she was driving to the hospital the heavens opened up, there was thunder & lightning and hailstones. She told me as she cried, "Dad, I thought that mum's curse had come true. I was terrified!" I am convinced that the trauma caused by this horrific rejection and haranguing shocked Lesley so much that her body and mind were severely damaged.

When Lesley was in hospital she watched television. Most beds had portable televisions that had been donated. She had two TVs and said that they should be given to the hospital. Something I remember that she said while in hospital. She begged me, "Dad, don't tell mum I'm in here. I don't want her coming in with her crocodile tears."