Shattered

Diet managers

Age ten and no clothes to fit

Opp Knocks to Brain Op

Only the talent mattered

So that’s why the child shattered

© Robert Campbell Stonebanks (Robcamstone), 21 March 2018

Note: This piece was completed on 21 March 2018 after many months of reflection and revision. It is inspired by the life and struggles of Lena Zavaroni, whose story continues to resonate deeply with me.

About This Poem

Diet managers
Refers to Lena’s manager putting her on a strict diet at age 10.
Age ten and no clothes to fit
Highlights how young she was and how her body was already being scrutinized and controlled.
Opp Knocks to Brain Op
A compressed timeline: from her rise to fame on Opportunity Knocks to the brain operation later in life that indirectly contributed to her death.
Only the talent mattered
Reflects how her personal well-being was often overlooked in favour of her extraordinary talent.
So that’s why the child shattered
A quiet conclusion—explaining the emotional and physical toll it all took on her.
Note on form
The poem follows the traditional Japanese Tanka structure (5-7-5-7-7 syllables). Each line adheres to this pattern, though the phrasing is modern and compressed. The form was chosen for its emotional brevity and reflective tone.