Tears in a Chamber of Echoes
The round faced peasant
Was paraded through town
As the elderman cried out for blood
“The witch is a tool of Satan,” he said
As he strapped a cold iron device
On their head
The mechanical device
Was called a scolds cap
With a cruel metal appendage
To hold down the tongue
Iron bars that encircle the head
To silence the voice
Of the town heretic
“We have found her guilty
Of calling herself them
She calls herself they/them
Because Satan is Legion
She is clearly under the influence
Of a powerful demon”
The Elderman’s fellows
Agreed, nodding sage
As they wrapped
The offending one’s
Tongue in a cage
He continued his charges
“The negress is fat!
She is greedy and lazy
And stole snacks out back
She paraded around
Like the belle of the ball
Called herself “they”
And wore men’s clothing
Through it all!
“She takes things from good men
And does not know her place”
He screamed as he strapped
The iron cage to thier face
“The negress cast spells!”
Said another in fright
And the men who had gathered
All became a pure white
Twas the whitest of whites
Color ran from their faces
T’was enchantment they feared
For the witch had some trick
That enchanted the town folks
But it made these men sick
“I have heard incantations
And make no mistake
She enchanted our children
And grew fat on their cake”
“Drag the fat wrench
Out to the town square
Place her in pillories,
Once you are there
Before reading charges
Sling mud in her face
So the townspeople see her
Cry tears in disgrace”
Though they had both wrists bound
The witch’s fingers were free
And wrote words in the air
The assembled could see
The elderman was astounded
The writing was on the wall for all to see
And some among the gathered crowd
Accused his lordship of villany
“Drat it!” One of the women said
“It is he and his scold cap I dread
I remember not long ago
When he placed that blasted
Rusty thing on my head
It is an ancient scold cap
And gave tetanus to one lass
Who the elderman sought to chasten
Because she did not properly care
For his jackass”
“Wait one moment,” said another
“Let us not make haste
The negress has been guilty of
Behaving like an ingrate
She has not thanked us adequately
For the freeing of her race
She should be happy that we let her in
And stop bringing more of her kind
In the place”
The elderman grimaced, and quickly agreed
Within moments his fellows
Returned to their screed
“She is clouding your judgment still
Though she’s in chains
Break her fingers now
That’s where her power remains”
Sumiko Saulson 