‘Some Natural Notes About Her Body’ by Milena Williamson

for Bridget Cleary, 1869 (?) – March 15th, 1895

We have carried out our examination:
her cheeks were flushed, discoloured
perhaps by a person holding the neck.

We removed her scalp and discovered
the vessels of the brain were congested,
as were the lungs. The spleen was ruptured.

We found no great marks of violence.
Organs protruded from burned apertures.
The bones of the spine were exposed.

We judged her stomach to be healthy.
She suffered from nervous excitement,
but the remains are well nourished.

We hereby conclude: the right hand
was contracted and the fingers, charred.
The tongue was lacerated as if she tried to talk.

From issue #11: spring/summer 2021

About the Author
Milena Williamson is pursuing a PhD in creative writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre at QUB. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, Blackbox Manifold, Honest Ulsterman, Magma and Oxford Poetry, among others. Her poems about Bridget Cleary were supported by ACNI. Find out more at www.milenawilliamson.com