Behold my brand new poem inspired by many dark and Gothic things but mostly by a series I recently watch on TV called Salem.
Now, those who have read the about me section on this blog will know that, even though I'm not a fan of horror, I am attracted to other to the other-worldly such as ghosts, fairies, parallel worlds and time travel. So it was that whilst on holiday this summer, my niece Hanna, asked me to watch the first few episodes of Salem with her because she knew she'd be too freaked out to watch it alone. And, despite the horror and gore [and be warned, there are bucket loads], we thoroughly enjoyed it and when I got home, I lost no time at all in watching the second series and then the final third.
I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that it's based on a very clever twist on true events that took place in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. A dark time in American history, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during an unexplained hysteria. The Salem Witch Trials have since become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating.
Everything about the series was smart and slick and the costumes were stunning. The acting was wonderful, especially by the two main protagonists Janet Montgomery who portrayed Mary Sibley, and Shane West who portrayed John Alden. However, my favourite characters were the complex, tortured Reverend Cotton Mather played by the charismatic Seth Gable and Anne Hale, whose ultimate descent into devil worship was portrayed with bone chilling perfection by Tamzin Merchant.
Finally, one of the best things about this series was that all the characters were based on real people who lived through the trials and this made the whole experience so much more compelling.
If you wish to learn more about the Salem witch trials, these links are a helpful start:
http://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-salem-witch-trials/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/
Welcome to Salem!
On All Hallows Eve
Where earth underfoot doth boil and heave
Winter is here damp harvest on the turn
Skin on fire with a brain fever burn
Welcome to Salem!
Church bells are ringing
Screams downed out by the good people singing
By Puritan judgement so final and fell
Souls on the hot burning red road to Hell
Welcome to Salem!
See the witches flying
Souls being taken and the congregation dying
Strange little girls with spindly finger pointed
See demons in the window if with rancid salve anointed
Welcome to Salem!
Alarm bells clanging
Familiars on the prowl and witch drums banging
Alone in the pulpit, Reverend Cotton Mather's preaching
Fighting to be heard above the wailing and the screeching
Welcome to Salem!
Hold hands and run
Back to God and the warmth of the sun
Never look back the way you came
Lest the Devil your soul forever claim
ART WORK PUBLICITY FOR "SALEM"
