Pure White Shirts

In Memory of Liu Ming, a victim of the White Terror

(Original text in Taiwanese is below the English translation)

The legend of the mining industry is enshrouded in a seamless black hole
Amidst the noises of torture is the vague stench of
blood and burned flesh
Armed ghosts outside the barred window are drifting, as
the air of martial law passes by marching in a goose step

It is a different time now, the corrupt are in charge
Yes, greasy saliva drips from the corner of a treacherous face’s mouth
‘To be successful is to be condemned’
the unspoken judgment is the verdict

Educators, doctors and lawyers
eating and sleeping together with you
sharing the same undefeated justice
The dayglow shines as hard as possible during the chilling dusk, while
their warm and solid backbones never go cold

The moon blurred by mist ascends to gaze down
listening to your fearless chats
Are those executors sent by the ruler good shots?
Will our blood spurt toward the direction of our hometown? You assert:
The innocent blood of decent Taiwanese should be splashed on
pure white shirts

By the barred window, under the tender moonlight, you sit quietly
flipping the worn dictionary in secrecy
The ‘Daddy’ in a child’s handwriting
on an inside page is where you
store your tears

As the delicate light emerges from the sky
you bring out a stack of white shirts for the
unintimidated souls, one after the other
Your head held high, as their shackles echo toward the execution ground

1. Liu Ming, born in 1902 in Chiayi, studied in Japan and found success in the mining industry, earning him the title of ‘Taiwan’s Mining Tycoon.’ After World War II, he generously supported artists in their creative endeavors. However, in a case related to donations for education and the arts, he was unjustly accused of being a communist accomplice by the Nationalist government and arrested in April 1950. Although incarcerated, Liu Ming’s generosity and leadership qualities remained unwavering. Some death row inmates wore the white shirts he had provided (for example, Dr. Guo Xiucong) on the day of their execution. Liu Ming believed that ‘The pure blood of Taiwanese people should flow on clean white shirts.’ Following his release from prison, he actively engaged in democratic movements, even amidst the constraints of martial law. Liu Ming passed away in 1993 at the age of 92.
2. A dictionary was mailed to Liu Ming by his daughter.

English translation by CJ Anderson-Wu