Seven political dissidents piled up
Hope of fourteen heartbroken parents
Peace of several spouses and children
Dozens of essays they had authored
A dream for a society of freedom
How much can a pit in the mass grave cause?
Stigma on their families
Ubiquitous surveillance over their relatives and coworkers
Fear throughout the community
Regret among the justice seekers
Despair of victims awaiting redress.
How much can a pit in the mass grave generate?
Rotting lives
Decomposing anger
Fertilized soil
Germinating yellow Iris, purple Thistle, and white Achillea
Resistant and resilient in the coming storms
*****
Author’s Note:
During the White Terror era in Taiwan, from 1947 to the early 1990s, the Nationalist government engaged in widespread political repression. This period saw the imprisonment, torture, and execution of thousands of political dissidents, intellectuals, and perceived enemies of the state. Mass graves, which were unknown until the 1990s, are somber reminders of this dark chapter in Taiwan’s history. These graves hold the remains of many who were executed without trial.