The Quilt with 598 Squares
Mayurathy Perinpamoorihy, Amandeep Kaur Hothi, Helen Skudder, Anita Harris,
Agnieszka Dziegielewska, Sandra Boakes, Penny Ann Taylor, Raheela Imran,
Sylvia Rowley-Bailey is stitched in pink beads
on Laura Ashley-style fabric. She was sitting
at her computer when found with twenty-three
knife wounds, deemed only worth five years
because she “nagged” her partner and murderer.
Laura Wilson, Kerry Smith, Claire Parrish, Hollie Gazzard, Gail Lucas,
Camille Mathurasingh, Natasha Trevis, Carol French, Rachael Slack, Victoria Rose
A gold crescent moon and stars adorn a navy patch
for a teacher and author, Julie Ann Semper.
Her boyfriend was “too anxious” to attend court.
The judge warned he’d enter
a guilty plea and try him in his absence.
Kayleigh Palmer, Yvonne Davies, Mariam Mohdaqi, Kate McHugh, Karren Martin,
Paula Newman, Annie Beaver, Desirie Thomas, Eystna Blunnie, Sally Harrison
“This was an isolated incident,” say the police.
Neighbours and colleagues say
he “was hard-working, loving dedicated”
and he “should not be remembered
for his actions on that day.”
Nazia Aktar, Taylor Burrows, Sally Cox…
What were their stories?
Cerys Yemm, Farkhanda Younis, Svetlana Zolotovska.
Who speaks for those whose voices were murdered?
(The Women’s Quilt, during 2009-2015, 598 women were killed by a current or former
partner. Full list of names available at www.femicidecensus.org.uk)
Emma Lee’s most recent collection is “Ghosts in the Desert” (IDP, 2015). She co-edited “Over Land, Over Sea: poems for those seeking refuge” (Five Leaves, 2015), reviews for The High Window Journal, The Journal, London Grip and Sabotage Reviews and blogs at http://emmalee1.wordpress.com.
atriumpoetry.com 