Hedge School
Who gets to remember?
Who gets to forget?
Who gets to decide what
is or is not history?
What happens to us when
governments dictate what
we can and can’t remember?
We who are old enough
bear the imprint of what
we learned before knowledge
was forbidden, must speak.
The Middle Passage, the auction
of human souls. The Trail
of Tears, internment camps–
Japanese behind high wires.
No one will be taught about
any of these, or Stonewall,
or Me Too. We who came before
must teach those who came after.
Long ago when the English forbade
the teaching of Celtic languages,
native ways, families formed
hedge schools, to keep knowledge
alive. So must we now.
3 thoughts on "Hedge School"
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Quite the powerful message here
So thoughtful….”we who came before must
teach those who came after”
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this powerful message of truth.
Gwyneth, I’ve so enjoyed your poems this month!