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Why I Called Him Bluebeard by Helen Ivory
A note from the Editor:
When I first read this poem, I sat very still. I thought of all the times we’ve needed myth to say what felt unsayable. How story can be a mask, but also a mirror. Helen Ivory’s Why I Called Him Bluebeard doesn’t flinch. It moves through fear, memory, and language with astonishing clarity. It just had to open our inaugural issue. Here, poetry becomes a spell, an unmaking, and a reckoning.
— Max Wallis
Why I Called Him Bluebeard
by Helen Ivory | poet | artist
Because I was frightened.
Because I was frightened not to.
Because my head was full to busting
and I found a hacksaw for the bridle.
Because it’s a story and not me.
Because it is me, but I didn’t have the words without the story.
Because I sat still and lit a candle
inside a dark square room
and watched shadows act out on the walls.
Because the beard fitted.
Because his mother would be pained.
Because – did I still want to protect him
from himself – to use a softer voice?
Because the material was too raw –
by material, I mean what happened.
Because I didn’t believe me
until I wrote it down.
Helen Ivory is a poet and visual artist. She edits IS&T and teaches for Arvon. Her six Bloodaxe collections include Waiting for Bluebeard, which centres on domestic abuse, and Constructing a Witch (2024), which is a PBS Winter Recommendation. She won a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors in 2024.
The Aftershock Review is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Thanks for reading The Aftershock Review! This post is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe
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By Max Wallis' Daily Aftershock Writing Prompts (The Aftershock Review)A note from the Editor:
When I first read this poem, I sat very still. I thought of all the times we’ve needed myth to say what felt unsayable. How story can be a mask, but also a mirror. Helen Ivory’s Why I Called Him Bluebeard doesn’t flinch. It moves through fear, memory, and language with astonishing clarity. It just had to open our inaugural issue. Here, poetry becomes a spell, an unmaking, and a reckoning.
— Max Wallis
Why I Called Him Bluebeard
by Helen Ivory | poet | artist
Because I was frightened.
Because I was frightened not to.
Because my head was full to busting
and I found a hacksaw for the bridle.
Because it’s a story and not me.
Because it is me, but I didn’t have the words without the story.
Because I sat still and lit a candle
inside a dark square room
and watched shadows act out on the walls.
Because the beard fitted.
Because his mother would be pained.
Because – did I still want to protect him
from himself – to use a softer voice?
Because the material was too raw –
by material, I mean what happened.
Because I didn’t believe me
until I wrote it down.
Helen Ivory is a poet and visual artist. She edits IS&T and teaches for Arvon. Her six Bloodaxe collections include Waiting for Bluebeard, which centres on domestic abuse, and Constructing a Witch (2024), which is a PBS Winter Recommendation. She won a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors in 2024.
The Aftershock Review is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Thanks for reading The Aftershock Review! This post is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe