Image – author’s own
London salivated
over our fresh meat
tabloid hacks
prostituted for pennies
with sketches of our demise
making his name
making their name
off our benighted backs
Name us:
Polly Nicholls
Annie Chapman
Elizabeth Stride
Kate Eddowes
Mary Jane Kelly
He shall not be named
*****
This week in dVerse Quadrille Monday, our welcoming host Mish asked to mull draw with words a poem based on the word, ‘in any way we feel, as long as the word ‘sketch’ is included somewhere, in some related form. Of course, it being a quadrille, there absolutely must be 44 words in the poem, no more and no less. I’ve counted my offering several times, so I hope I’ve managed to count correctly!
My poem is inspired by the women, the ‘canonical five’ who were brutally murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. They were incorrectly much maligned as prostitutes, with this role being looked down on and criticised for decades. Instead, they were poor, working class women, trying to make a life in an extraordinarily tough environment. If you want to find out more about them as women and not just victims, I can highly recommend Hallie Rubenhold’s book The Five. They deserve to be known.
Do head on over to read the imaginative offerings of the poets who make up this wonderful dVerse poetry community – and why not take part yourself?!
Freya Writes... 
I always admire poetic pieces with this much simple, raw power, especially when I know that there were certain literary challenges to follow in regards to word count.
Thank you so much! I enjoy the limits – they make your brain work that much harder!
A meaningful and powerful write and I appreciate the info on the book.
Thank you Mish – and you’re welcome!
This poem was powerful! I especially liked your tribute to the women murdered by “he who shall not be named.”
Thank you Colleen!
You’re so welcome.
I love this, and it does make sense with all those serial killer who are named celebrities instead of their victims.
Thank you Björn.
First off, excellent photo! I commend you for flipping the script here. Enough of *him* and more on *them*.
Thank you!
You’re welcome.
Great poem. Powerful words.
Thank you!
You pack a punch with this one, Freya. The injustice on so many levels, but that their names are dismissed as insignificant beside the killer’s notoriety is unacceptable.
Thank you so much, Dorah.
Wow, Really!? I had no idea, Freya ~ thank you for teaching me!!
Much love,
David
Thank you for reading it!