Poetry (poems)

The Bluebell Queen

(written in the Balticon Poetry Workshop on 5/23/2013.  We were given a sheaf of papers, and told to pick one, on which we would write a poem.  I flipped through several pages about various mythical creatures, and my eyes alighted on a page which described the Bluebell Fairy (which had the power of compelling truth.)  We were given ten minutes to produce a poem on our subject, and this is what I came up with.)

The Bluebell Queen

Elaina on her first Spring ride,

Alone amid the fields

The sultry day spoke warm and damp

Of secret, magic smells

...

The horses hooves threw clods of mud

Across the passing green,

Where flowers blue and yellow hung

And buzzing things were seen

...

A passing hoof, a flying clod

Did ring a tiny bell,

The buzzing rose from angry sod,

A dancing mob as well

...

“You wrecked our house!” the fairy screeched,

Her cap and face all blue,

“Now, tell us all why you are here;

You only can speak true.”

...

The frightened girl tried hard to say

She never meant to harm

But truth, unbidden, forced her mouth;

She spoke into the swarm

...

“I came to catch a fairy,” she said,

And keep it in a cage.”

She wept as tongue betrayed her plan,

Seeing fairy rage.

...

“Trapper!” they hissed, and swords were drawn,

Elaina knew she would die,

“Wait!” the blue queen said to all,

But to the girl, she just said, “Why?”

...

“My Ma is dying,” wept Elaina,

“I hoped you’d make her well.

If I must die, so be it, but

Please keep her from the veil."

...

The fairy queen removed her cap,

And placed in Elaina’s hand

“Faithful girl, who speaks with Spring,

Now hear what we demand.

...

“Give this bell to your Ma to eat,

And she will be all whole,

Then come back here, and be my friend,

And come into my home.”

... 

(It was very hard, and yet astonishing, to see how quickly the mind can produce poetry under pressure.  I did not feel the least inspired as I began the process, but inspiration followed perspiration, and what began as a simple search for words, rhymes, and scansion that fit a Springtime theme developed unexpectedly into statements about love, sacrifice, courage, compassion, and reconciliation.

And yes, this is exactly what I wrote in ten minutes, with nothing modified or added since.)