The Widower Poem by Caitlin Robinson

The poem isn't really about anything specifically relating to my experiences. Back in the 1800s, many men who were targeted through the townspeople were innocent. They were never proven guilty and as a result, many of those men died by hanging. Most of those men were in fact innocent. Their wives, friends, children and family all had to watch their loved one die at the hand of an accusation that was never really brought into question.

This poem, in a way, is about a woman who knew her husband was innocent but could not do anything for him for fear she would be cast as guilty too. As the townspeople watch her husband die by the rope of a noose, she quietly sits back and watches as those who distaste her husband- who she loved until death- cheer on his suffering because they themselves believe he deserves it. She hopes that no one sees her cry, although there is the man who stops and wonders how much 'should be given back' meaning how much should she lay in wake until she makes a stand. Perhaps this man knows that her husband is innocent but again- he is unable to act upon his belief.

The poem reminds me of the Salem Witch Trials where anyone- literally anyone- would be accused of witchcraft. Its a tragic poem about being unable to physically do something in a situation as unfair as this one. But out of all the ones I have written, this is my favorite. It's very ominous and very forward. It presents an issue that you wouldn't normally think about on any given day. Perhaps you do, but its unlikely.