A Thousand Days
by Joani Reese
It's so much more respectable to drown
one's woes beneath the channel's oily sheen.
I never should have married for a crown.
The tower's chill. I pace from stone to stone,
my throne a threadbare carpet, and it seems
it's so much more respectable to drown.
My daughter has her father's hair. She's known
to be a legal heir. I hope she yearns
to marry no one, even for a crown.
Some claim my brother lay with me, I own
it's possible, but not whilst I was queen--
It's so much more respectable to drown.
Lord Cromwell's stock is rising like the sun,
his stealthy machinations slipped between
King Henry and myself. I've lost the crown.
The swordsman from Calais, whose stroke is clean,
will part me from my life for Lady Jane.
It's so much more respectable to drown.
I never should have married for a crown.
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Author's Note
I have always had a love affair with the villanelle form and with the reign of Henry VIII, particularly his relationship with Anne Boleyn. Thanks to Jane Carman at Illinois State for publishing this poem in Festival Writer.
Other stories by Joani Reese
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Fascinating in the ways in challenges gender imperatives and norms.*
Read this at AWP in a British accent. It was all Bill Yarrow's fault.
I remember this one, and your accent...even if I was, well, drunk! But I wasn't. Way to write, JR... *
I think I might consider giving up all my works to have written this one. It has precision, background, presence, music, regret. High praise.
Crafty! *
With Sam on this one. And to think Boleyn held out for a year before she caved. *
Lovely in a thousand ways
was Anne of a thousand days.
Love this one.
I love the challenge of form. I can't write a sonnet for beans, but the villanelle just fits me. I adore its possibilities.
"Read this at AWP in a British accent. It was all Bill Yarrow's fault."
fucking A!
*
Better than the opera by two and a half hours!
Well done and much enjoyed.*
Thanks Bud. But more like, fucking all! That's what got the lass in so much trouble...
Joani! I get on Fictionaut after a super long hiatus to post an attempt at a villanelle AND LOOK HERE'S HERE WITH A SUPERIOR EXAMPLE, WOOT WOOT!
look *who's here, that ^^ should read. ...
Joani, you have managed to pack a lot into this tight form. Great work!
*