In My African Childhood...

By Frances Macaulay Forde

Wed, 16 Mar 2022
  • 354 reads
5 comments
 

In My African childhood

 

We lived next door to a ‘church’, 

could hear their fervent chest-beating,

shouting at all times of the day and night. 

So could our prize-winning show-dog.

 

A Beagle barking continuously

can be annoying... but not enough

to warrant throwing an axe

hitting and chopping off her leg.

 

Her Agricultural show career ended

although she enjoyed the breeding...

We moved away to safer neighbours,

our dog limping through her dreams.

 

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2019

Certificate 18
Poem
Africa
Crime
Journal
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

What a horrible thing to do!

 

Submitted by Frances Macaula... on

So terrible I remember it clearly even though I was a teenager.  The so-called church was anything but Christian... I remember being shouted at for riding my bike over the edge of the pathway, onto their land for a split second and nearly falling off.  I stopped riding to school after.  They were scary people. 

Thank you for reading and the comment.  Stay safe and well, Insert. 

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF

Submitted by Turlough on

That's awful. 

Long ago in England (Gillingham to be precise), we lived near a church. Sunday mornings were absolute mayhem with people parking cars in our narrow and normally peaceful little street, slamming doors and shouting greetings at each other. The cherry on the cake of irony was always the moment when one of our neighbours would appear at his front door screaming at the top of his voice for the church-goers to be quiet. 

Turlough

Submitted by marandina on

That's a grim tale. Maybe not the ideal "church". Paul

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I love that last line, Frances. It's a beautiful image, but holding so much sadness too.