Written piece
The Handmaid
Onyekachi Nwachukwu
Nigeria
About this piece
When the child prays, it's good; when she worships, it's good, but none should take our watchful eyes away. "The Handmaid" is a cautionary poem; a young girl lost in the fervor of faith, exploring the danger of unguided religious extremism and the duty of care we owe the young.
The Handmaid
I met her an altar girl when I got posted in
A devout Marian and a handmaid at 16
Spending hours at grotto, chaplet in hand
I admired her commitment to the faith on one hand
But still wondered what a child could pray for
The faith is good, prayer is good, what do I bother for
She joined the visiting nuns pray
Heard about apparitions, hoped for own experience someday
I could tell from questions she asked, and I merely waved off
And how often she came for confession for failing to believe enough
If I weren’t busy attending to many faithful, I’d hear her early
The day I managed to listen, she had seen Mary many times already
As she told, I observed her face, her eyes, and her tongue
Sunken eyes, dry lips, dry foamy mouth; she hadn’t eaten for long
I cut her prophecy of a looming 3-day darkness to ask when she last ate
She had fasted 15 days, but had started seeing Mary from day 8
I was gripped by fear, she smelt like she hadn’t bathed in days
She must eat and bathe now before I hear anymore of what Mary says
She pushed me violently and called me Beelzebub
Then ran outside the church hall, knelt to scream and sob
I knew she had crossed the line; the seminary didn’t teach restraint
It was the help of other counselees and a struggle of strength
It was a long drive I did to the hospital; we pray she returns well
She was unmonitored because it was okay to pray, and so she fell
May God protect our children from our testimonies