Ye Olde Witches Brew Magazine
Embracing the Vintage Witch

Every year they parade her about,
the traditional Halloween witch.
Misshapen green face,
stringy scraps of hair,
a toothless mouth
beneath her disfigured nose.

Gnarled knobby fingers twisted
into a claw protracting form,
a bent and twisted torso that
lurches about on wobbly legs.

Most think this abject image to
be the creation of a prejudiced
mind or merely a Halloween caricature.

I disagree, I believe this to be
how witches were really seen.

Consider that most witches were women,
were abducted in the night
and smuggled into dungeons or prisons
under the secrecy of darkness.
To be presented by the light of day
as a confessed witch.

Few, if any saw a frightened
normal looking woman being
dragged into a secret room
filled with instruments of torture.

To be questioned
until she confessed
to anything that was suggested
to her,
and to give names
or say whatever would stop the
questions.

Crowds saw the aberration
denounced to the world
as a self-proclaimed witch.

As the witch was paraded
through the town,
en route to be burned,
Hanged, drowned, stoned,
or disposed of
in various horrible ways,
all created to free
and save her soul
from her depraved body.

The jeering crowds viewed the
result of hours of torture.

The face, bruised
and broken by countless blows,
bore a hue of sickly green.

The once warm and loving smile
gone.
Replaced by a grimace of broken teeth,
and torn gums
that leer beneath a battered,
disfigured nose.

The disheveled hair conceals
bleeding gaps of torn scalp from
whence cruel hands had torn
away the lovely tresses.

Broken, twisted hands
clutched the wagon for support.
Fractured fingers locked like
groping claws
to steady her broken body.

All semblance of humanity gone.
This was truly a demon,
a bride of Satan, a witch.

I revere this Halloween Witch
and hold her sacred.

I honor her courage
and listen to her warnings
of the dark side of humanity.

Each year I shed tears of respect.

Author unknown

By Anonymous

These are articles and stories that I have tirelessly tried to contact the Author but to no avail, so it is listed under *Anonymous* If anyone recognizes this article or if you are the Author please contact Jennifer at yeoldewitchesbrew@gmail.com so I may give credit where it belongs~

Comments(1):

1. A Lesson For Every Witch

   Everyone should read this no matter what their religion. So sad, so true. How cruel humanity can be when ignorance prevails.

   Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Sherry