In The Year Of Our Lord 1954 Poem by Otega A

Beauty has many names.
In the year of our lord 1954,
It came to My Lord in the letters, Lady Katherine E.A.
The dauntless beauty, made by its maker
never to fade; to be much adored.

Wherein it all began,
I was but a maid to Her Grace, Baroness Elizabeth A.
Lady over me, Lady with my Lord, Lady in the West;
And a concubine to my Lord, Lord Aaron E.D.
Lord over me, Lord with Her Grace, Governor in the West.

In the North, in the war-ridden lands of the North,
Lied the noble emperor on his dying bed
Much perplexed by listless feelings as he penned a letter
To his friend, My Lord, Governor in the West,
That the safety of Katherine E.A being so unsure,
He might, in his kindliness, find her shelter and nurture.


Thus she came
The beauty beyond compare;
Expressed like the sweet song beneath the rays of the setting sun
Careless whispered on the rise and fall of a violin note.
Thus she came, bided on her own task
To be the reckoner on my Lord,
To bring the dearth on delight I sometimes foresaw.

When on my master's heart she seduced,
To be the Empress in the North she endeared
On the thoughts of making His Lordship, Lord Aaron E.D,
Her alibi and the victim of his own lusts.
The humble maiden of the desolate South to be the Empress,
The great lord of the proud West to bear the blame;
So she thought, so she acted.

In His Lordship's heart, she played her games
Till in Her Lady's heart, he played a knife.
While in his arms, Her Grace, Baroness Elizabeth A.
Lied with her fleeting breath in her pool of blood
This she whispered;
'Forgive yourself for my slaughter; forgive yourself coz I love you.
I've always loved you;
I loved you even in the day you first went into my maid.
Yes my maid; my maid, Maiden Evelyn K.'

Then the noble Emperor in North was dead
And His Lordship, Lord Aaron E.D, wore the crown to lead the empire.
On his coronation, Baroness Elizabeth's ring he placed on Katherine.
After his coronation, the tainted wine he drank.
But in my chambers; to my wonder, in my chambers,
The poisoned wine he drank.

This he whispered;
In my arms, with the froth and foam from his mouth,
This he whispered;
'I have but loved only a woman in my life
Then into her heart I forced my jaguar's knife.
I was afraid maiden; maiden I was afraid.
Now you must run. Run else my murder is blamed on you'.

All hail the Empress!
All hail Empress Katherine E.A,
New ruler and Lady over all that breathe in all the kingdoms.

After a fortnight in the dungeon in the year of our lord 1954
I knew I, Maiden Evelyn K, would but meet my end in the gallows.
Thus the foolish guard I seduced
To play the crime for which I'll be killed
To taint the Empress's wine
To force the jaguar's knife into the Empress's heart.

There she lies
In the royal tomb; the tomb of great men and women
The beauty beyond compare;
The dauntless beauty made by its maker
never to fade but to be much adored.
Even in her tomb, her beauty glows beyond the clasp of death.
When you see it, you'll know you want it
Yes, I know you'll do.

Ere I face the gallows,
I hold no regret
But to have been on the bed with my lady's lord
Coz she loved me as her own;
Yes, I know she did.