Reclaiming the Night in Byron Bay

Last night I attended one of the best Reclaim the Night marches I've been on. I'm visiting the Rainbow Triangle in northern NSW. There was no march in Lismore this year, so I took advantage of the free bus which took women from Lismore Women's Health Centre to Byron Bay for their event.

On my bus, I got to sit next to Laura Henkel, whom I'd never met in person, though I've corresponded with her a few times, and know her - of course - from the documentary "The Man Who Stole My Mother's Face", made by her daughter, Cathy Henkel.

Laura is one of the contributors to The Reclaiming Anthology: healing our wounds. She is the survivor of a horrific sexual assault that took place in South Africa, where she was born and grew up. It was great to hear Laura's perspective on South Africa of today. She also told me how it happened that her parents had emigrated from London to Africa - quite an adventure, it seems!

Cathy Henkel's film has been widely shown around the world, and was judged the winner of the Best Documentary Feature, Tribeca Film Festival, New York and winner of Best Documentar Lexus IF Awards. The impact of the film continues to reverberate around Africa and the world. In fact, Laura now has a rape crisis centre in Liberia named after her!

Laura's comment on the Pacific Ocean is that it's a pond, when compared with the majesty of the Atlantic! She hopes to live by the ocean again some day, having spent her first few years on the coast of South Africa.

When we reached Byron Bay, we watched, as about 350 passionate, excited and determined women gathered in a park on the beach. The event was well organised, and I was surprised to find my artwork on the flyer that Kassa Bird had prepared for marchers. She didn't know who 'Mersigns' was, and had apparently received the picture from Christobel. I don't know Christobel either, but was honoured to see my poster being used in this way.

The sound equipment was superb, and it was easy to listen to the speakers - of whom there were only a few. I really enjoyed Mandy Nolan, the 'Sister of Ceremonies' who also took the time to let people know that I was there, with books and posters for sale. She instantly and predictably reacted to my last name 'Magdalena' as representative of another strong woman who walked the streets. Having read the Da Vinci Code the night before, I wasn't offended!

What I picked up from this march was the enormous surge of energy we created, in walking through the streets of Byron Bay. I haven't spent much time in small towns, and it was just wonderful to parade past onlookers just as we would in a city, and feel we were imparting a vital message to the world.

I don't know how Reclaim the Night 2006 went in Adelaide. I hope it was a good event.

During the day, I attended a different kind of event in another nearby town, Casino (known as the beef capital of Australia). See the post "Don't Turn a Blind Eye"

Pocketful of Starlight

Pocketful of Starlight*
(c) Melina Magdalena

it was
exactly
as though Love
came by and
tapped me on
the shoulder

there she sat
quietly
and calmly
contemplating
me of
all people

though I’d
never seen her
before
grim
probabilities
dropped
away and
vast
possibilities
seemed
suddenly
endless

I stood in
a meadow
of stars
that sparkled
beneath my feet
horizon
too distant
to grasp so
the waiting
was all for
this moment

instantly
she became
familiar
so precious
and dear
imprinted
upon my
memory

it was time
to embrace
my future


(*from Perry Como Catch a Falling Star)