Poem of the week : Abigail Says She’s A Witch
Abigail Says She’s A Witch
They are resurrecting the witch
pulling charred corpses from the pit
for reburial (and easy metaphor).
The oddballs. The freaks wearing
the devil’s mark, gather at the gate
hands held, carrying sage.
I am a witch
Abigail says (barring the way)
to them, to Tituba
rising out from our memory
(her finger pointing, her fist raised).
I am a witch
Abigail echoed in likes
in inch by column inch
I am true
and they gather with
proclamations.
General
the troops for the ritual
purge.
In all this cutting down
firewood
new pyres.
In all this throwing of rocks
flint
old fire.
In free speech thrown
the struck are
silenced
(as they always were)
in their
monster mask
hangman’s hood
cow bell, shackle
millstone.
But
Abigail says she’s a witch
I am the hunted
is handed pitchfork
tiki torch, the stage- her flowers.
Her applause, her encore.
Bravo! Bravo!
All hail the witch.
All hail, all hail the witch.
Hannah Lavery is a poet, playwright, performer and director. Her work has been widely published and her highly acclaimed play, Lament for Sheku Bayoh, was part of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. Hannah has just been made Edinburgh’s new makar.
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