Time travel with Aldora

· by · in dVerse, the aged librarian. ·

In the library time is
a six year old girl named Aldora
running through the corridors
and alleys and seemingly
with her unicorn magic taking
you over storm-ridden seas
across snow laden valleys
into Mediaeval battle fields
where usurper and king
can not be distinguished by
any arrow’s colour,

She may bring
you to Bosworth or Lindisfarne,
were, though the air is rich with blood
and underfoot bones are breaking
no blade or arrow pierce your skin,
and she may take you by the hand
into the study of Martin Luther
observing as he writes the final
the words that will be used
for war and peace alike.

She will take you to see Henry
as first he hears the rumours
about Ann his queen,
and you will see his bulging body
quiver in disgust
or visit Shakespeare’s premiere
of Romeo and Juliet
and see the audience react to the story
that never can surprise you.

She will take you time and place you ask for,
and those you don’t
like the bunker under Berlin 1945,
and see how Eva finally gets married,
with you always are
safe and sound, observing, never touched
but when you close her book,
the library turns grey
and back to what it was
with dust replacing mud and cordite.

AI created image by Bing using the prompt: Create a painting in the style of Rembrandt showing time travel with a six year old girl to the battle of Bosworth

Today Lisa hosts dVerse poetics and she urges us to try to write about places to visit from the past, and I combined this with the only place I think travel is possible today: The library. I have been listening a lot to historical podcsts recently so I have included a few places that reverberate through those tales. It was fun letting AI create my image.

November 7, 2023

26 responses to “Time travel with Aldora”

  1. This is absolutely STUNNING, Bjorn! So much to love here especially; “and she may take you by the hand into the study of Martin Luther observing as he writes the final the words that will be used for war and peace alike.” 💖💖

  2. The library is a time machine, Björn, and books can transport us anywhere we want. I love this! I have been to Lindisfarne, a magical place, where time stands still. I wouldn’t like to visit the battle of Bosworth, or Henry VIII, but I would love to be present at Shakespeare’s premiere of Romeo and Juliet.

  3. Oh I love the poetic conceit of a “time-lord”-like character and the journey you have us embark on that brings history alive as you did, especially certain figures and moments! This was rollicking but mysterious fun, Björn, and I love that it’s in the Library!

  4. “where usurper and king
    can not be distinguished by
    any arrow’s colour,”

    I like this commentary. Could be relevant through time. It might be a bit sad closing her book, returning to the grey.

  5. Bjorn, you had me hooked at the first two lines and your AI-generated image of The Time Traveler, Aldora ❤ I *love* her magical protection:
    "though the air is rich with blood
    and underfoot bones are breaking
    no blade or arrow pierce your skin,"
    I hope you share more of her adventures.

  11. You took us on an adventure, Bjorn! I like how you brought us right back with,
    ‘but when you close her book,
    the library turns grey
    and back to what it was
    with dust replacing mud and cordite.’

  13. A fantastic poem with such an intriguing concept. Libraries help us time travel. Books rather. Nothing like going back in time and watching Henry VIII’s disgust. If the books were magical and helped me change things, I might prevent Anne from getting beheaded. I loved this piece!

  14. A really great response to this challenge Björn and as part of your Librarian/library poems, you remind us that the Library already exists as a time machine and you take us on a great trip through the destinations of your imagination…

  16. Aldora was surely my invisible companion as I roamed the stacks of my local library when I was a kid, taking me on so many quests in books. Thanks for bringing her back. (PS, Bing’s Dall-E image creator comes up with some pretty novel and compelling takes on text prompts – I used it for my contribution to this challenge – I really like this one.)

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