So powerful! I always think of one of the tests they gave those accused of witchcraft. If they could swim, they were witches, and if they drowned, they weren’t.
Yes, a Catch-22 of the most awful, terrible kind. When I looked into this, I found a whole number of other things, at least equally bad, that were done. I won’t detail them, they’re literally unspeakable. Thank you for engagement with this difficult poem, LeeAnn.
Horrifying and striking. I feel like people being killed for "witchcraft" is so often reduced to reading "The Crucible" and jokes about burning witches (in America, at least). It's horrible to think about humans (entire families?!?) being killed for nothing.
Yes, I 100% agree, Margaret. I only gradually became aware of this history. It’s deeply unsettling to realise one’s walking in the footsteps of these people. Thank you for taking the time to engage with this difficult poem, Margaret. I deeply appreciate it.
My pleasure, Fotini - if “pleasure” is the right word in this context! In the case of the family I mention (though no doubt not in many other cases) we do actually have their names. I omitted them (like the name of the town) out of respect for possible sensitives, but it’s even more shocking when you read their names... such ordinary folk...
Names make numbers real people.... like you and me. Every time I read about such matters I get angry and despaired. I get the same feelings every time I read the news as well. So thank you again, for your poem.
Thank you @Hudson’s Substack and @Paul Wittenberger for restacking this poem. Its subject-matter is difficult and its method unconventional, I know, so I’m very glad it resonated with you. Thank you.🙏
'They have names.' Not 'had,' the respect you show in this sentence alone says so much. Thank you for sharing.
So powerful! I always think of one of the tests they gave those accused of witchcraft. If they could swim, they were witches, and if they drowned, they weren’t.
Yes, a Catch-22 of the most awful, terrible kind. When I looked into this, I found a whole number of other things, at least equally bad, that were done. I won’t detail them, they’re literally unspeakable. Thank you for engagement with this difficult poem, LeeAnn.
Horrifying and striking. I feel like people being killed for "witchcraft" is so often reduced to reading "The Crucible" and jokes about burning witches (in America, at least). It's horrible to think about humans (entire families?!?) being killed for nothing.
Yes, I 100% agree, Margaret. I only gradually became aware of this history. It’s deeply unsettling to realise one’s walking in the footsteps of these people. Thank you for taking the time to engage with this difficult poem, Margaret. I deeply appreciate it.
And yet we're stuck with the numbers. The names but forgotten to most of us.
Thank you, Thomas.
My pleasure, Fotini - if “pleasure” is the right word in this context! In the case of the family I mention (though no doubt not in many other cases) we do actually have their names. I omitted them (like the name of the town) out of respect for possible sensitives, but it’s even more shocking when you read their names... such ordinary folk...
Names make numbers real people.... like you and me. Every time I read about such matters I get angry and despaired. I get the same feelings every time I read the news as well. So thank you again, for your poem.
Thank you, Treasa. 🙏
Thank you @Hudson’s Substack and @Paul Wittenberger for restacking this poem. Its subject-matter is difficult and its method unconventional, I know, so I’m very glad it resonated with you. Thank you.🙏
So glad you found it worthwhile, Fotini!