Friday, August 29, 2008

Hanging the Witch...

[The unknown poet of the Third Galaxy maintained that much of his most powerful work was in response to tales related to him by people he knew. As a case in point, here are his notes to "Hanging the Witch", both of which I dug up in the 21st Edition of the Absolute Truth:]

A child was delivered, stillborn, in Greenbrier, Tennessee. The mother died not long after in child bed.

The mark on its head matched the boot of the father, a leading citizen. He accused the midwife of witchcraft and led the mob that lynched her. This event occurred sometime in the 1880's.

As was common in those times, no one was ever arrested.

The child was born dead
with the mark of the devil on top of its head.
"It was the witch who did it!" the father said.

He called the boys around,
they put on their long, white gowns
and pointed hats and rode out of town.

They rode to a certain house
and loudly called the old witch out,
"Come out, witch, you know what this is about!"

"You killed my only son!"
"It was with witch-work your deed was done!"
"You did it, we know it, we know that you're the one!"

Then suddenly, out she came,
her eyes burning blue flame
in the moonlight -- her hair a shining silver mane...

So, you come again with death,"
she said, "and whiskey on your breath!
Behind your masks, you know the truth of this!"

Indeed they did, but they
hung her and the body swayed under the tree
-- they shouted with glee and the stars were amazed!

But no one spoke in speech
about the wife he'd batter and beat
and trample on and kick with his feet.

His hobnailed boots,
how could they not know the truth?
It was in fact himself who had abused

his wife and unborn babe
and laid them rudely in the grave
and yet another woman had to pay...


She was in fact a midwife
and a witch too if that's what you like.
She was both a giver and a healer of life.

Her name was Laura and she
was albino, indian and strange to see.
She was married to a Scottish man named Charley.

The story is true, you see.
Her great granddaughter told it to me.
It happened in 1880 in Tennessee.

4 comments:

James said...

Cliffy,

Yep, many signposts along the way, even for one such as I who has had so much experience (so to speak) in this area.

It comes down to feeling connected to everything, when even I knew the train was sliding over the edge, and trying to generate that next, better connection. Really hard to consider losing that connection when it's so strong and meaningful.

Comes from the Ego disappearing, and perceptual filters gone too, so conversely, we experience the World as it really is, which makes us crazy, and everyone else is sane, don't you know.

In the end, it's just not worth the damage to the self or the relationship; amazing that after explaining the experience in advance - in great detail - it's impossible once CiCi was in my episode to truly "appreciate" it.

Luckily (if ya wanna call it that) my cycle runs 4-5 years now, with two episodes happening since I've been sober, compared to seven in the 8 year period 1992-2000.

More access to doctors, more and regular Lithium and Seroquel (for sleep), and even though there was solid product created "during" this one, I need to be more responsible if and when the next one comes along. Somehow.

We're not together at the moment, but still married, still seeing each other every day, but we're getting some counseling on a variety of levels, going back many years, before we put us back together.

Thanks for dropping by, my friend.

James

Anonymous said...

re: Billmon

Did you know he's posting at Kos? Sparely, but it's definately him,

And listen here. NO SHAME, capice?

J

Chuck Cliff said...

O yes, it really is Bilmon -- Bernhard at Moon of Alabama (which has been taking care of the Whiskey Bar addicts since he closed up shop) always links to him whenever he posts somewhere, at KOS mostly.

And listen here. NO SHAME, capice?

Uh, was there a link there that is missing?

Chuck Cliff said...

Umn, as for your first comment -- to tell the truth, when you really started spinning, I kind of got a bit of a buzz myself. But, I'll try to get back to that later.