There used to be a scaffold here.
Where blood has spilled the grass is greener.
Beheading was at dawn, a sword for noblemen
and axe for all the rest.
An ax is dull, a sword is sharp …
Only Anne was privileged enough
to be treated as a man.
They say she never cried, but bled she did.
Her greatest sin: she never had a son.
Her greatest legacy: Elizabeth.
The ravens know,
how close it was for England to succumb,
if daughters can’t be kings.
Dear Anne,
you died in honor of the king,
but afterwards your daughter honored you.
© Roger Bulltot
I know it’s not the Tower of London, but still the green lawn and the old walls reminded me of a tour we made. I don’t really know if I wrote a narrative poem or a story, but sometimes you just have to tell the story of Anne Boleyn in the simplest possible ways. The irony that her daughter became one of the greatest rulers of England should be remembered more than that of king Henry.
Friday Fictioneers is a community of bloggers who write stories to the same picture in 100 words every week. There is lot of talent here, and Rochelle keeps us on the edge of improving our writing skills every week.
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August 30, 2017
Interesting technique this week Bjorn, I liked the narrative poem style.
I normally write poetry not prose so this came easy to me.
Nicely said, Bjorn. The irony that Anne was (probably falsely) accused of adultery just to get rid of her and as you say, her daughter … More formidable, and a greater monarch than her dad. I often wonder how she viewed Henry in light of the fact he had her mum executed. Great work.
The reason to get rid of Anne was firstly that she had no son, and secondly Jane Seymour…
Yes, true. Anne did give birth to a stillborn son I believe – what would have been her fate had he lived I wonder? Would Henry still have grown tired of her eventually? He was fickle as he grew older. Also though, Anne as queen got a bit above herself, was less the alluring temptress of their courtship, more the bossy wife. And Jane was quiet and meek … and younger
That was beautifully done and I knew exactly who you were talking about almost from the beginning.
Good that it came clear… sometimes it just takes a few words.
True!
Excellent, B, just excellent.
Thank you Ted…
Haunting tale, and such a good point, that Anne’s “not son” would go on to do such great things. I especially liked the line about “the ravens know”.
The ravens of the Tower is surrounded with such myths.. “if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it”.
They’re mythical looking birds; I can see why they got caught up in those legends.
Terrific post, Bjorn. A large chunk of English history summarised with passion in 100 words.
Thank you.. the story of the Tudors is fascinating.
Did you visit Hever Castle when you visited the UK? We took our grandchildren there last month – it’s where Anne grew up.
No not the last time… we did the Tower and we took a trip to Oxford…
Never Castle is in Kent. Try to add it to your agenda next time. The gardens are gorgeous, too.
That was quite a concession to make (beheading her with a sharp instrument). I love the format you used here.
I think being beheaded with a blunt ax would be terrible really… but I think they considered to burn her at the stake at first.
Her story is so haunting. I read a fictionalized account by Phillipa Gregory a few years back and it has stayed with me. Sad era in English history as I read it.
I think that many stories have been polished afterward… the story of lady Jane Grey is even more tragic I think… She was only 17 when she was beheaded.
Well done, Bjorn. I admire the direction this poem took.
I love to do some poetry based on real stories sometimes… and that time in Britain was a special one.
Only Anne was privileged enough to be treated as a man.
This line shines in the middle of a great story about a strong woman. Well done.
That was something that stood out for me when reading about her too…
So beautifully written. You do this so well.
Thank you. The story is told so many times so finding a new angle is not easy.
I don’t care what it is (in terms of labels); I love it. Such intriguing figures, both Anne and Elizabeth. You have told the story well, picking out the salient points so that the poem is, paradoxically, both spare and rich.
I think there are so many more stories to be told. Love to be both spare and rich.
I’ve noticed that poetic story telling can be tricky, in terms of not veering into flat out prose. Whether a narrative poem or story, this is well constructed and holds the content wonderfully well.
I think it helps if you are writing a lot of flash fiction.. poetry is about reducing your language just like writing flash.
A delightful piece of history condensed into few words. Brilliant.
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Anne Boleyn might have one of the most pivotal persons in history…
you nailed it. i think even anne boleyn by your rendering of history. well done.
Thank you, she is a fascinating person.
I like this style of writing. It is different. Good job.
I always try to do something different and new…
narrative. poetry. either way, done eloquently.
Thank you .. so kind of you to say so
You’re welcome!
History brought to life through your words – very nice!
History is fun…
Dear Björn,
Must I remind you that it’s all about what you see in the prompt? No need to explain yourself. 😉 Beautiful poem. Simple and full of history. Love it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
No need to remember me of that… just wanted to give some background to my thoughts.
The story of Anne Boleyn has always been one of the most haunting of that era. You did it justice, Bjorn.
When searching I found the story of Lady Jane Grey even more haunting… but I never grew up with your history… We had some contemporary royalties leaving a bloody trail…
Sword or axe, it was a murderous event.
But sometimes swift is better.
Poor Anne. I think she was too numb to cry. Old Henry had already drained her of her tears.
I don’t know… maybe she was relieved that it had came to an end.
I think so. She didn’t know that the scrawny little girl she’d borne would become Queen Elizabeth I.
What a wonderful tribute to an old queen. Great story. Long live the QUEEN!
We had a queen a few years later… but I actually read that she was actually crowned a king (our constitution couldn’t have ruling queens).
Aye, I’ve read that, too. Leaves one to wonder, doesn’t it…
Damned right! Well told Bjorn. Such strength in the face of an impossible life
I think when you are out of options… the only thing that might matter is your legacy,
Very well written, Bjorn. History has many sad tales.
Indeed it has… and maybe it’s the sad tales that teach us the most.
Nice take on the picture.
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Thank you
Great writing, as usual, Bjorn.
Thank you
I LOVE THIS! You wrote it so beautifully. Poor Anne. But Elizabeth was a triumph despite all the odds against her. Wonderful Bjorn. :o)
It’s fun to dig into the history… of course there are always layers of truth underneath… wonder when I have the time to read Hillary Mantel who paints another image of Anne.
Margaret George is a wonderful historical fiction writer, too. She’s definitely worth a visit. When you find time. If you’re anything like me, time has become a commodity.
Great style here. The story of Anne and Elizabeth is fascinating.
Very much so… next time I might retell the story from Sweden
I love this, the form fits the special fate of her.
This form is what I would usually write. Maybe it could have been seen as inspired by “The world’s wife”…
Great story and great writing style .
Thank you.. .as I usually write poetry it comes easier to me than fiction.
Written with the voice of a true feminist.
Maybe so… or just being a humanist.
Poetic historical fiction, I liked this.
I can truly recommend that you read “The world’s wife” by Carol Ann Duffy…
This is great – a new style of prose – a wonderful re-telling of our history – better than most of us know it. Full of fact and emotion. Great stuff, Bjorn.
The border between prose and poetry is fluid.
A brilliant piece of poetry, and I’m so glad to see someone sticking up for the much maligned Anne. Henry VIII really was the sort of man whose line of sight a noblewoman needed to avoid if she wanted to survive!