You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become
more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
~Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope by George Lucas
Martyrdom / Witness
Here's a very surprising fact! It surprised me, anyway, and led to this prompt. According to Wikipedia:
In its original meaning, the word martyr, meaning witness, was used in the secular sphere as well as in the New Testament of the Bible.[1] The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of the witness . . . .
Your Challenge: Perhaps you have witnessed or experienced witness that needs a poem? Write a new poem for this prompt, letting the tone of the poem reveal your positive or negative feelings about martyrdom and/or witness.
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| From the Gallery of 20th Century Martyrs at Westminster Abbey�l. to r.Mother Elizabeth of Russia, Rev. Martin Luther King, Archbishop Oscar Romero and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
The Martyr
Indicative of the passion of the people
on the 15th of April, 1865Good Friday was the day Of the prodigy and crime,When they killed him in his pity, When they killed him in his primeOf clemency and calm� When with yearning he was filled To redeem the evil-willed,And, though conqueror, be kind; But they killed him in his kindness, In their madness and their blindness,And they killed him from behind. There is sobbing of the strong, And a pall upon the land; But the People in their weeping Bare the iron hand: Beware the People weeping When they bare the iron hand.. . . . (Read the rest HERE at The Poetry Foundation.)
was it so I couldnever sayacross a courtroomthat man, the onestanding there
was it so you couldwalk among us againafteras if you had shedthe body that didthose things
was it because you couldnot bearmy pupils so hugethey would have swallowed youmy whites like flayed kneecaps
when you pressed downto singe them backinto my skull they were softerthan you expectedyou had thought themdiamond hardweapons turned on you
was it so you couldimagine a timewhen you would be humanagain among humansthat you had to leavesome of usalive?
**************Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community.
(Next week, Sumana's Midweek Motif will be A Flower Was Offered to Me. )
**************
Indicative of the passion of the people
on the 15th of April, 1865
on the 15th of April, 1865
Good Friday was the day
Of the prodigy and crime,
When they killed him in his pity,
When they killed him in his prime
Of clemency and calm�
When with yearning he was filled
To redeem the evil-willed,
And, though conqueror, be kind;
But they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And they killed him from behind.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
. . . . (Read the rest HERE at The Poetry Foundation.)
was it so I could
never say
across a courtroom
that man, the one
standing there
was it so you could
walk among us again
after
as if you had shed
the body that did
those things
was it because you could
not bear
my pupils so huge
they would have swallowed you
my whites like flayed kneecaps
when you pressed down
to singe them back
into my skull they were softer
than you expected
you had thought them
diamond hard
weapons turned on you
was it so you could
imagine a time
when you would be human
again among humans
that you had to leave
some of us
alive?
Source: Poetry (March 2014).
Used by Permission
**************
Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below
and visit others in the spirit of the community.
(Next week, Sumana's Midweek Motif will be A Flower Was Offered to Me. )
**************
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