Die with it in you, were the words he cried
and so I bent voiceless to that noose,
tighter round my neck than ever my tongue was tied,
keeping secret what other women loosed.
The words they say I sang were never mine.
If I could not tell why I swung that axe,
how could they let me sing a song so fine,
such pretty verse, strung sweet by a hack?
What words could I own, or others know
to speak of the pieces of him they found,
scattered over acres, hidden in holes
I dug shallow, in hard-frozen ground?
I carried those secrets of love, death and birth–
the blood of them heavier than iron
with me into air, and freed into earth,
which takes everything, and learns
All we know and do not speak, my naked
bones not caring what eats fossilized pain
or reads out loud the voice of it,
scribed in the center of old bone.
Based (loosely) on the story of Frankie Silver
This is (kinda) a ballad, poking fun at another ballad. I stuck true (sort of) to the form, until I broke out of it in the last stanza.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
AH.. what a grizzly story… like a traditional murder ballad or or broadside… existed here also… Maybe the most famous we sing here is about Elvira Madigan.. that became a film later…
Ah, I think we all have our gristly stories.
…or grizzly dreams of revenge & justice, unatainable in reality…
Yes–and they should remain unattainable.
That’s a really tough story, Susan – and to my mind, it should caution against imposing the death penalty.
Your poem captures the tragedy of the story well; its injustice comes across clearly in the ballad form, which BTW is often used to write protest songs/poems.
I think protest is where ballads shine the most, Tony. Thanks so much for commenting, and the prompt.
Whew, an intense write here, Susan. Well penned ballad that makes me want to know MORE of the story.
Thanks, Mary. That was how I felt after seeing her story on TV. The link I posted does not tell much, however.
Well done Susan and thanks for the signpost to Frankie’s story. I wonder what words she did take to her grave…
Anna :o]
Ah, we’ll never know. Funny how I felt sorrier for her than the man left in pieces, whoever actually did that to him–Frankie or her father.
After reading her story – so did I. I would love to know more of her and should perhaps by the book.
Anna :o]
I might have to do that myself!
Intense… It was like watching a movie. A strong creation indeed… made me think and see vivid images, I would have rather avoided.
And as much as I know of ballad, I think that is a true interpretation of the form. Great write! 🙂
Thank you–and I agree–vivid, uncomfortable story here.
Wow, what a write Susan ~ First to last stanzas are hard-hitting ~ Good work on the form too ~
Thanks so much, Grace.
“Die with it in you”. I’m certainly dying to know what ‘it’ is 🙂
That pesky secret… Why she did it, whatever she felt her last words should be. Drives me nuts 😉
Well put together. The secret did finally come out, too late though.
Good story here. Read your reference.
Thank you. Sad story too.
for as inept as I am at reading some of what you write Suz, I read and thought this is a different feel from you, I hiccuped at the last stanza and I had a smile at your comment about breaking out. Nicely written and enjoyed.
Thanks, Jen. You know I break out into rashes as soon as I even think about writing in forms…
🙂 that I do
I don’t know, I had a certain violent femmes song going through my head. Pretty and cool stuff Susan.
Thanks, Trent–which VF song? I used to listen to them, a long time ago…
Country Death Song. Classic.
I had me a wife, I had me some daughters…
Yup. There is an unfortunate incident with a well, and then the guilt. Oh the guilt.
Wow, just listened to that again. One hell of a powerful song. Heard that was based on a true story.
Oh geez I hope not. I think the daddy ended up hanging himself too. Kind of bleak. But boy does the music match the subject matter.
It does. Heh. Now that’s a ballad–this is just me pretending to write one.
Good one, true to the old ballads in theme and spirit
Oh, thank you, Ray!
oh heck susan…wonderful work on the ballad…what a story..need to check your link to find out a bit more..
Thanks, Claudia. It is such a sad, sad story.
The stuff ballads are made of–a true story, injustice, a sad ending. Very nice.
Thank you!
Great work as always Susan!
Aw, thank you!
Lovely!
Thanks–I never got inspiration from “Deadly Women” before 😉
It’s kind of refreshing to hear her voice, though I suspect (even from mine), that too much realism could be the death of ballad.
Thanks, Susan, and I agree. Realism (a brush of it) is fine–just not too much.
Didn’t Cathy Bates play the starring role in a similar movie/story of revenge?
You know, I think she did…
You’re an excellent poet, Susan Daniels…
Oh, Gosh, Lindy, thank you for saying so!
Wow!
Ooh, I love the flow of this…
smiles..you know i am all for a little breaking out of form…
very well done susan…and i think you capture the feel of what i know of the story
and intersting thought by the other susan on realism being the death of the battle…
wow sis! You have spun me around and around like that famous scene of Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt dancing the waltz Merry Widow. You’ve kept me piqued !
Thank you, Deb!