It has been a bit of an unsettling week for our girl Coco.  Not sure why, but she has been pondering some heavy topics.  For starters we are having conversations about adoption that I never thought I’d have the privilege of engaging in.  Coco’s questions tear at my heart, but I thank God for the chance to read her questions and answer them.   On another note, we met with our wonderful new RPM practitioner this week.  Coco liked her right off.  Coco said she is YOUNG BUT INTELLIGENT.  An apt observation.  She happens to be very calming and sweet too.  Coco overheard my conversation with this young lady about the fact that all Coco really needs right now is for her intellectual appetite to be filled.  For the moment, we are done with ABA and we have given up speech therapy too.  We have kept one half hour of occupational therapy with the sole aim of improving the motor planning and agility needed for RPM.  The day after Coco heard me talking about this with her new teacher, she reached for her stencils to signal she had something to say.  She spelled I FELT HOPEFUL HEARING YOU TALK LAST NIGHT.  I asked her why.  She said I WANT AN EDUCATION.  I am hopeful we will be able to overcome the hurdles ahead to obtain the education she is begging for and is her right.  We have a long road ahead.  I feel an immense responsibility to deliver on the promises I keep making her.

 

Perhaps it was this injustice on her mind that brought about an acute interest this week in the Salem witch trials.  Coco heard a short reference to this topic in the U.S. History text we’ve been working from and wanted to know more.  We read a book together on the subject and Coco wanted to share what she learned in a poem, which seems to be her go-to format for self expression.  I love what she did here.  It’s dark, but so insightful.  She references Tituba, a slave woman who was one of the first to be accused, and the specters, or spirits of the witches, who were thought to fly around outside of a witch’s body.  She references the bird, thought to be the form in which the devil came to humans.  She writes from the perspective of one of the girl accusers and alludes to the gender inequalities that may have underlayed their actions.  I hope you like reading it as much as it seemed to thrill Coco to write it…

SWORN TO THE DEVIL

TITUBA SHE CURSED US

SHE RECEIVED SATANS CALL

SENT FOR SATANS WORKSHOP

BRED FOR THE FALL

DRIVEN BY DEMONS

IN DEED AND IN WORD

DOING HIS BIDDING

HEARING HIS BIRD

UNDER REIGN OF MEN

POWERLESS ARE WE

YET IMPORTANT AT LAST

TELLING OUR SOIREE

ON GOD DO WE SWEAR

WE ATTRIBUTE TO ONE

YEARS FROM NOW RESIDING

WHERE THE PURITANS WON

WAITING FOR SOMETHING

TO INFUSE LIFE WITH MEANING

YESTERYEAR OVER

OF TOMORROW IM DREAMING

SINNERS REPENT

AND OUTCASTS BEWARE

WE(‘)RE ON A MISSION

AND DEVIL MAY CARE

SO DOUBTERS STAND DOWN

AND GET OUT OF OUR WAY

GET OUT YOUR BIBLES

ITS TIME TO PRAY

THE HANGINGS COMMENCE

AS WE TIGHTLY ENSNARE

COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY

IF YOUR LIFE WE SPARE

TONIGHT WE TELL SECRETS

TONIGHT WE ARE HEARD

THE DEVILS AMONG US

HE CAME AS A BIRD

HE CAME TO YOUR HOUSES

HE CAME BACK TO ME

HE CAME TO TITUBA

AND SHE SET HIM FREE

SO RUN IF YOU CAN

OR DIE BY MY WORD

ITS MY TIME TO SHINE

AND IM GOING TO BE HEARD

PENANCE IS COMING

FOR THOSE WHO DECLARE

THERES EVIL AMONG US

WITHIN GODS OWN LAIR

SO MEET ME AT SUNSET

AND TOGETHER WE(‘)LL SEE

THE SPECTERS AFLYING

THEYRE FLYING FOR ME