They told me
by Jocelyn Page
[ poetry - february 10 ]
Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live, Exodus 22:18
They swim... the mark of Satan is upon them. They must hang, Matthew
Hopkins, Witchfinder General, 1645
I was stripped naked, my spine pestled into the stones
Each thumb tied tight to the opposite ankle
And they told me if I floated, I would hang
And they told me if I sank, I'd be free
Tom Bracy dragged me over, a stiff rope coiled my waist
Mary Hale stood on the bank with a pole to push me under
And they told me if I floated, I would hang
And they told me if I sank, I'd be free
And as they tossed me in, children clapped and cheered
The shock of that cold, the water rusty red
And they told me if I floated, I would hang
And they told me if I sank, I'd be free
And the patterns that I saw when the sun broke the clouds
Flooded me with knowing my Lord was calling me
They told me if I floated, I would hang
They told me if I sank, I'd be free
He was waiting there for me in the dancing net of light
He rocked me side to side toward the floor of sparkling silt
Lord, lift me up, let me tell my story again
Let them look me in the eyes as I hang
