1955
She was good looking.
He whistled in appreciation.
Rednecks approached: “Black boy,
gonna teach you a lesson.”
Pistol whipped, drowned, 14. Emmett Till.
Open casket: Mama’s wishes.
That cruel reality slapped us awake.
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For Trifecta Friday: Write a horror poem or story in exactly 33 words, without employing the following words: blood, scream, died, death, knife, gun, or kill. I chose this true story because for me, there is nothing more frightening than to put oneself in the shoes of a victim of hate crime, and Emmett Till’s death and public funeral were key to the outrage that sparked the Civil Rights Movement, a cause my mother believed in deeply and outspokenly.
This poem will also appear at Poets United, my poetic peeps.
Sharp Little Pencil 
OldDogNewTits
I’m from the deep south, granted it’s New Orleans, but this story hit home. Well done.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, ODNT (still one of the most brilliant blog names ever!). I know, New Orleans has a more subtle racism, but frankly, if it were not for black music in the form of jazz, I’m not sure it would be on the map. That’s hallowed ground. Amy
Roger Green
One of the first topics I ever blogged about was Emmett Till. Scarred me for life.
http://www.rogerogreen.com/2005/08/28/remembering-emmett/
Sharp Little Pencil
Roger, I followed your link back to 2005 and responded. Your memories helped give me a new focus on this tragedy. Thank you so much for sharing that link with me. Peace, Amy
Lance
A horror tale of time, huh? Thanks for the historical tug at my mind and heart. well done.
Sharp Little Pencil
Yes, Lance, just as I believe hell is really on earth, not the hereafter, I believe that there is enough horror in the real world, now as well as throughout history, to merit consideration for that prompt. Thanks so much for visiting, and congrats on your mention at Trifecta! Peace, Amy
Poetry & Icecream
Wow Amy, powerful! You captured my attention enough to research this case. It’s so sad and horrible what they did to him. So glad times have changed. Brilliant poem 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
I wish I could agree with you, but unfortunately times have not changed; there are still lynchings and other types of killings in “sundown towns.” A new target is gay youth and LGBTQ people in general… as well as folks of Arabic descent. Doesn’t get a lot of play on the corporate media… but thanks for commenting. May we see the day when people look people in the eye first and not make judgments based on the shade of their skin (we’re all brown; I’m just beige) or the outward appearance in general. Thanks. Peace, Amy
Poetry & Icecream
Oh really! That’s disturbing. I’m glad I live in a relatively peaceful country.
El Guapo
More horrifying because it’s true.
Powerfully done, pencil!
Sharp Little Pencil
Guapo, as I said above, I always find enough horror in real life, like child sex trafficking and such, that I don’t have to fictionalize very often… thanks for recognizing that. Peace, Amy
jannatwrites
It is upsetting to me that in some ways, these atrocities seem like a thing of the past…however, I have read enough hate spewed through the internet to know that we haven’t come as far as I’d hoped. I don’t care who you are – no one deserves this.
Sharp Little Pencil
Amen, Janna. It’s true. We are all human beings, and the worst part is that some of the most hateful, bigoted speech comes from people claiming to be “Christian.” I’m a church-going Christian and now call myself a “follower of Jesus,” because too many folks go to church on Sunday, tip their hats to the pastor, then wait to pounce on a gay kid and tie him to a truck bumper… so sad. Thanks, hon. Amy
Inside the Mind of Isadora
This is raw reality. Amer, you are outstanding in your presetation of the real world; even today. Thanks for the warning on the photo. It is hard to look at. It went well with the poem. You are incredible.
Namaste …
Sharp Little Pencil
Real life is so much more horrible than anything I could make up anyway… this tragedy was the spark that lit the fire of the civil rights movement. His mother had to be quite a woman to insist on that open casket. She wanted EVERYONE to see what they had done to her child, who may not even have whistled at the girl. He stuttered, and whistling was a calming mechanism. Thanks, and bless you, Izzy, my girl. Love, Amer
The Gal Herself
Greetings from Chicago, where this story is woven into the fabric of lives. I have heard it retold a lot recently and you’re right, it’s a horror! And so sadly relevant. PS His mother maintained that he whistled not because he found “the white lady” attractive but because he was a stutterer and when he got stuck on a word, letting out a little whistle helped him. How tragic is that?
Sharp Little Pencil
Hey, Gal,
I cannot believe I just recounted that very story about Emmett’s stuttering to Isadora, and here you say the same thing. Thanks for educating folks about this. My comment area yields a wide array of opinions and shared knowledge, and that makes it all worthwhile. A tragedy. Seems like not a strong enough word, huh?
Peace, Amy
Sparks In Shadow
Your poem and the memories it stirred, felt like the punch of truth in the gut. Especially after this week of listening and communicating. Those of us who have heard about this before, and those who haven’t, need to be reminded because terrible things flourish when we forget. This one is a very real horror story.
I’ve never read a comment invitation like yours. Thank you for asking. I value constructive critique, too. I don’t write much poetry but here’s one: http://sparksinshadow.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/crawling/
Sharp Little Pencil
Sparks, thank you for stopping by. I wish more poets would invite links – I generally leave one when I comment, in hopes they will visit, but if they don’t that’s fine. It’s like leaving a little present.
Thanks for your thoughts on Emmett – you’re right, there is enough real horror in this world, we don’t need to imagine worse. I will check out your link now, and thanks again. Peace, Amy
Sherry Blue Sky
I saw the movie about Emmett, but the photo above has more impact. I have never read a more powerful message in only 33 perfect words.
Sharp Little Pencil
Sherry, Trifecta has a 33-word challenge every Friday. I love the discipline, because it’s about brevity, not about form. As much as I dislike the constraints of the sonnet for my own writing, there’s something about serving up a smaller plate that helps me rid the poem of extraneous verbiage. You should try it! I’ll bet you’d rock the prompt.
The prompt was “horror,” and as I have said above, there’s enough horror in the day to day world without making things up. Peace, darlin’ – Amy
k~
Story complete, prompt addressed, photo not necessary but an unmistakable addition to the horror presented in 33 words.
k~
Twas me, here once again 😉 Thank you for stopping by.
k~
Here again to let you know I appreciate your visit.
Sharp Little Pencil
The only reason I felt it was important to add the photo was two-fold: One, some people do not know the story of Emmett Till, and two, our social studies textbooks whitewash (NO pun intended) the history of race relations. It’s one thing to talk about what happened; quite another to see it, and I am forever awed by his mother’s courageous stance in insisting on the open casket. She did her part to stir change in America, a battle we still fight today. Peace, Amy
k~
That’s reason enough for me Amy, and I believe it to be true. Although I forget sometimes that the era gone by is only held up to the light by those like you, that will take the steps to expose, and explain the stories as they were, as they are, and as they will be. (thinks about a comment made recently to her and nods)… yes, you are absolutely right on that level… the pic is in! 🙂
purplepeninportland
Excellent poem, Amy. Perhaps the picture was truly needed to see the horror.
Sharp Little Pencil
That’s why I put a LARGE PRINT warning in the title of the post. Some folks cannot stomach the image, but let’s face it: This is what happened to a 14-year-old young man, his whole life ahead of him, because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and attended a multi-racial school in Chicago. God rest his soul, and his mother’s, too. Peace, Amy
Sandra
“Mama’s wishes.” Horrifically tragic and very well-written.
Sharp Little Pencil
The most horrible part is that it is a shameful episode in America’s history that is largely ignored by high school social studies texts. Neo-Nazis still march in Skokie, and they have to be given that right as long as it’s non-violent, because of free speech. But white supremacists still operate today, in darkness, and homophobes think nothing of torturing gay men and women. Thanks,Sandra. Peace, Amy
Mel
Your poem is well written. This is just so tragic.
Sharp Little Pencil
Mel, if it were not true, no one would believe it. Lynchings and the rest were common in those days. Hell, white people would pose proudly to have their picture taken beside a body hanging from a tree. Check out Billie Holiday’s recording of “Strange Fruit.” Thanks for stopping by, and remember, we are only as good as the history we work toward not being repeated! Peace, Amy
brian miller
horror..and reality blend well in this…and so sad the way we were…and i wonder how far have we come….
Sharp Little Pencil
Brian, I’ll tell you the truth. Not far enough. I was living in a small town; we had the ONLY “Obama/Biden” sign on all of Main Street. I was at the drug store when a cashier said aloud to a customer, “Can you believe they elected a n***** for president?”
I stepped to the side of the line and said loudly, “Excuse me??” They were all shamed into silence. By then, they knew me. But most of them were thinking the same thing. When people choose to insulate themselves into “safe” communities, ignoring other peoples and ways of living, they often succumb to bigotry. Sad but true, but we’re still working for the good. Peace, my brother, Amy
MOV
Disturbing, indeed. I believe this is the winning essay, even without the photo. Nice writing, powerful topic. Your words will stay with me. This piece is the very definition of horror.
best,
MOV
Sharp Little Pencil
MOV, you were the one who came up with this prompt, and it’s interesting… I didn’t think twice about writing a horror story from history. I don’t need fictional frights, because we as human beings create enough – just as I don’t believe in hell in the afterlife, because LGBT torture, child and female sex trafficking, and genocide are still very real, as well as incestual sex abuse… Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. Peace, Amy
LetMeStartBySaying (@LetMeStart)
Raw, complete, an important message.
I saw it without needing the photo (which I might suggest putting below the poem next time, in case some people can’t handle seeing that or have kids near them when reading). But I think the photo helped seal the severity of the situation.
I like your take on the prompt. Came from the Trifextra linkup.
Sharp Little Pencil
LMS, thanks for your comment. Upon reflection, even though I did put the large-print advisory at the top, I might have moved it down a bit, but I would not have put it under. Even teens see a lot worse than this at the movie theatre, and this was an actual even. Truthfully, if even one teen saw it and asked their history teacher to talk about it in class, I’d be gratified. Yes, it’s shocking, but it’s part of the shame of America, and it’s simmering just under the surface of too many people today. Thanks for your input – I really do appreciate it. Guess we meet in the middle on this one? Peace, Amy
Dick Jones
Short and visceral, as it needed to be. Excellent.
Sharp Little Pencil
Dick, the Trifecta Friday (Frifecta?) prompt is always an idea which must be completed in exactly 33 words in the body of the poem (not counting title). This is the reason for the brevity… usually, I go on and on. Not the best self-editor on the scene! Thanks, and peace, Amy
Carrie
And sadly, horrors such as this continue to this day. I wonder if we will ever live in a world free from such hatred…probably not.
Sharp Little Pencil
Carrie, thanks for this. As long as we tolerate ignorance, parents who pass bad language and beliefs on to their children (and their kids don’t break the cycle), as long as good people do not speak up in defense of “the other” in our world, we will have this crap. It takes courage to step in and, with a non-anxious presence, explain why a comment is inappropriate and why you will not stand by and accept it… but that courage is what is needed. That’s why my sisters can’t stand me! Peace, Amy
trifectawriting
Thanks so much for linking up with Trifecta this week. Hope to see you back on Monday (10 am Eastern) for the new prompt and some exciting news about the changes Trifecta is making to spread the word about our writing community.
Lindy Lee
Bigotry is the father of injustice…