Chanelling Natalie Wood

Quite a controversial topic, and subject to many unanswered questions.  

This Natalie Wood story is based on her reflection on her life. 

Her tragic love life. 

The painful trauma left upon her soul, and ultimately her death.

She survives on with the thought justice will prevail, and karma will be fully paid.

A working monologue for a supernatural project on hold, (due to Covid) connected to the Great In-Between.

Hopefully, I can restart it. The auditions were quite emotional to watch.

Logline: 

Do ghosts speak in poetry? 

Did I channel Natalie Wood at 3 am as I wrote this monologue? 

Title: 

Chanelling Natalie Wood

 

Well here I am again

 

Back from November

Eighty–one

 

Is it raining outside

It quite feels like it is

 

Over the years

I’ve watched and waited

 

But lately, I feel so weak

And I just can’t keep quiet and sedated

 

Maybe it’s time to speak

Using this unique channelling technique

When I first started acting at such a young age

I didn't know who the hell I was

 

When I was younger

I tried to be whoever

 

They wanted me to be

 

My mother

Maria

 

Bless her soul

Used to tell me

 

No matter what they ask you

Wherever you end up or

Go

 

Always say yes

You can learn later

 

I wish I had just sometimes

Stood up for myself and

Said no

 

I've always been terrified of deep water

And yet it seems

 

I was forced to go into the water

In every movie

That I ever appeared

In

 

From 1943

 

It’s rather cruel and tragic

That I was to die

According to the police

By drowning at sea

 

I was so once overprotected

 

By my agents

Mother and who I thought

We're close friends

 

I used to think I was as so delicate as people said

And it’s still rather strange how I still feel

 

For there are times

In here

 

When I look above

At that big screen

Which always rolls

 

I see me as a young stranger

 

Lost like a Christmas miracle

Walking on 34th Street

 

And there are sad times

When I look below at that other big screen

 

For there are two you know

 

Here in this dark cinema

In the Great In-Between

 

One that shows you the light side of your life

And the other

 

The darkness

 

It’s your choice which one you watch

Some say it’s a form of divine catharsis

 

 Which will help you rise above

All that pain

 

Hidden in those iconic

Moments of self-analysis

 

Well whenever I look below

 

I always see the one I thought would love

Me forever

 

I guess

Almost every girl falls in love with the wrong man

I suppose it’s part of growing up

And yes

 

I can still feel you

You know your name

 

Like a young Jim Stark

 

Always rebelling without a cause

In everything I still do

 

Those small moments

Running wild within these visits

 

Into my life’s many old business

 

Moments where I was lost and

Trying to find a West Side story

 

To live in forever with someone

Like Tony

 

Hiding somewhere

From all the splendours

In all those tall green grasses

 

On the big Hollywood Hills

 

I still see painful flashbacks

 

To where powerful strangers

In VIP hotel rooms

 

Sometimes

Seek sex with single girls

 

Seeking fame

And them

They willingly consume

 

Where you could fall deeply in love

With someone

 

And be totally lost in

Those tranquil bouts of emotional insurrections

 

At first a silent revolution and

Then a forced rebellion when they leave

 

But above

 

On the surface

Which we show the world

 

From here to eternity

 

I've learned

We hide ourselves to the watchers

 

Lying to ourselves while

Parading such a false love

 

I loved you once

Robert

 

But below that surface

Where the darkness multiplies

And grows

 

Like those painful moments

I endured in Chateau Marmont

 

Where feelings of doubts

Deep inner fears and invisible tears

 

Always return for they cannot ever be washed

But always haunt

 

I always prayed they

Wouldn’t stay

 

But they always go on and on

 

All questions heralding from the

Moment I met the smiling

Snarling

 

Paris Pitman Jr.

The Spartacus people loved

 

The popular

Mister Who Knows

Dressed in his white coat

And with his foolish

 

Devilish stare

 

The king of all those action

Picture shows

 

I can still see him smiling everywhere

 

I may seem calm and collected

But beneath the surface

 

I once feared to be rejected

By RJ and the watching world

 

But for now

 I still smile and play

 

With Elvis

Empowered with the hope

 

That those painful memories will fade

And these mysterious four winds will

Blow all old those fears away

 

It's how I now cope

 

I no longer visit my deep depths

Where I was once drowned

 

By shall I just say

Two accomplices

 

Off the coast of Santa Catalina

 

In those dark blue waters

A place where light

Lies in the distance

 

For now though

I’ll stay kneeling in front of these

Four candles

 

Steadfast in the hope

Justice will prevail

 

To bring truth and an end to this

Scandal

 

Have you two been afraid

As you age

 

Of changing your statements

And all its misleading intent

 

To extinguish your dark secrets

For it binds you to feelings of

Guilt

 

Which I know must feel so tragic

 

Have you two built your lives around

Just serving you

 

Listened

Hypnotized to believe your lies

 

 

Now the public no longer

Cries

 

Have some of your memories

Been happy

And some may have been magic

 

But in a moment of heart-to-heart

Do time and guilt

 

Make your hearts grow colder

Even as all my own children get older

 

The Great In-Between

Is waiting to judge you

Both

 

But you have a good life

While we all still wait

 

Seek love

Something denied to me

Like an untamed gipsy

 

Embrace its golden rays

As we now judge

 

Major Garrett

 

Now he’s entered a town without pity

Somewhere in here

 

High up in the Holy City

 

Remember

 

Tomorrow Is Forever

And these old movies never stop

They just go on

 

Catching all the Jekyll and Mr Hydes

On the bottom screen

 

As we

All the victims of some sort of mortal crime

Or violence

 

Standstill

Hidden but always watching

Waiting patiently in silence

 

Alongside our faithful spirit guides

Amongst the long shadows

 

Waiting to hand out justice

To the corrupted

 

When their time comes

And their lives are too

 

Interrupted

 

Confess now

 

Before you two

Stand before us

 

It’s your only way to find a path

To your own salvation

 

Before your eventual sentence

If you don’t show repentance

 

Remember we wait

 

I never knew motherhood could be so truly gratifying until I had children

 

Moments I still miss

 

Because I was sent alone

To a place where their soft cheeks

 

I could no longer touch or kiss

 

I miss you so much, Lana

And my daughters

Natasha and Courtney

Just remember and always think of me

 

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Image shared under fair usage policy.