Dear Subscriber:
Each week we examine
a theme from a variety of points of view. Each week we examine a theme from a
variety of points of view. The theme for this week is Columbus Day and
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which are celebrated on Oct. 14.
I welcome comments
on my poems at http://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com .
A poem for Indigenous Peoples’ Day based on passages from
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies by Bartolomé de las
Casas (written in 1542, published in 1552):
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIES
From A Short
Account of the Destruction of the Indies by Bartolomé de las Casas (written
in 1542, published in 1552):
The settlers would
erect long gibbets
To which they would bind thirteen of the Indians at one time,
In honor and reverence, they said,
Of Our Redeemer and the twelve Apostles,
And put firewood around it
And burn the Indians alive.
To which they would bind thirteen of the Indians at one time,
In honor and reverence, they said,
Of Our Redeemer and the twelve Apostles,
And put firewood around it
And burn the Indians alive.
Another time, because
the Indians
Did not give a settler a coffer filled with gold,
They killed countless souls,
And cut off the hands and noses of countless
Men and women, and others they threw
To the savage dogs,
Who tore them to pieces and ate them.
Did not give a settler a coffer filled with gold,
They killed countless souls,
And cut off the hands and noses of countless
Men and women, and others they threw
To the savage dogs,
Who tore them to pieces and ate them.
The cacique asked the
holy father whether
Christians went to the sky. The priest replied
That they did, but only those who were good.
And the cacique then said that he
Did not desire to go to the sky,
But rather down to hell
So that he would not be where they were
And would not see such cruel people.
Christians went to the sky. The priest replied
That they did, but only those who were good.
And the cacique then said that he
Did not desire to go to the sky,
But rather down to hell
So that he would not be where they were
And would not see such cruel people.
© by Nicholas Gordon
If you enjoyed this
poem, please like, comment on, or share it so that it might be seen and enjoyed
by others. To see this poem on my site, go to https://www.poemsforfree.com/thedes.html. For more poems for indigenous peoples’ day,
go to https://www.poemsforfree.com/indigenouspeoplesdaypoems.html .
This week’s theme: Columbus
Day and Indigenous People’s Day
10/16: The Destruction of the Indies
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