Esther Cox

Gold cherry

By onemorething

Fri, 15 Oct 2021
  • 2392 reads
10 comments
 

This is my second ghostly poem for October. It's based on the Amherst Case of poltergeist activity that was reported to have centred on Esther Fox. Esther was 18 and had been the victim of an attempted sexual assault. These events occurred between 1878 and 1879 in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. 
 

 

He says, 'Esther Cox,

you are mine to kill',

he writes it on the wall. 

Hysterical or paranormal,

subject to an unknown will -

she is needled and scratched,

and her body, swollen with pain,

she asks, 'what still belongs to me?' 

as something or someone

slides her bed sheets down,

unseen.

Bring in the clergymen

with their holy water,

let them put tests to Esther

who hears a loud ghost,

who knocks once for yes

and twice for no, let them

examine how suffering

manifests. 
 

 

Image is from here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Poltergeist-Therese_Selles.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

Certificate 18
Poem
Horror

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

yes, our noisy ghosts are often within, and found in the sin of dissociation. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, almost always. Poor Esther. Thanks for the cherries. 

 

Submitted by celticman on

it's the almost that gets you. the unexplained. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

"what still belongs to me?" Having a small w makes me think of how insignificant her voice is, small, inside her, with the whole whirling condemnation and disbelief and uncaringness of the world spread out around, for as far as she could possibly go

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, reading about her, I felt that she was moved about from pillar to post and poked and prodded, watched all the time during this period. Thanks for reading it, Di. :)

 

Submitted by Ewan on

I always love it when our writers do something a little different. If we give ourselves lines to colour inside, we lose our creative edge. This disturbing account of true events is most deservedly our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day. Please do ensure that you share it on all socia media platforms if you like it too.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks so much Ewan, I'm glad you liked it. A lovely surprise. And you're right, it's good to colour outside the lines sometimes. :) 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I'd never heard of her before - thank you onemore - poor girl. Congratulations on another set of golden cherries

I listened to this in the car today - you might enjoy the series (it's a history of ghosts):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nv06

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thank you! And oh, thanks, looks great. Good for inspiration. And yes, I did feel very sorry for Esther, reading her tale. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

This is excellent. Without any prior knowledge of Esther Cox, from your first eleven lines I envisaged a modern day homeless person living in despair. 'She is needled and scratched' in particular made me think of desperate people sleeping in shop doorways. I wonder how many of them might feel that your words could describe the way they feel about their lives and I wonder what awful experiences might have taken place to initiate a chain of events that causes their suffering to manifest the way it does. 

Congratulations on your golden cherries. They are much deserved.

 

Turlough