Prophecy For The Past Poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer

If Alderaan lived,
I know what my future would be
bound by elder ways,
held to custom,
married, to antiquity.
Now
Alderaan is dead
and I can choose.

If Alderaan lived,
I am certain
nothing could halt the process now,
not a whisper,
not a shout of offworld protest
of outsider's prejudice
of rimworlder's narrowness
But
Alderaan is gone
and I am free to choose.

I am what I was before,
Alderaan's heiress,
her senator,
when again there is a Senate
her princess,
if ever again, there is a Court
[the galaxy will rightly fear such, now]

He is what he has always been,
my brother,
my closest kin living
the only surviving male of our line,
my twin,
heir in his own right to the ancient ways.

If Alderaan lived
I would be wed
by laws as old as Nature
on that globe,
to the one who has strongest claim,
on my loyalty
on my heritage
on my duty
on my blood.
And
Alderaan is gone
so I must choose.

If Alderaan lived
I'd have a consort,
chosen carefully
the cream of our generation
the second,
the last generation
to lose so many
to Chaos, and to Shadow,
and to the Dark.
Now
Alderaan is dead
and I will choose.

I know who would be
chosen for me
by Councils,
by Allies,
by Family,
those few who escaped Moff Tarkin's rage.

I can imagine
bloodless shock
whitening his face,
as their choice
is announced.
I can see his disbelief
even anger
that ancient custom
so presumes
to order our lives.

By custom,
By law,
By right
such rights
as rulers long ago
gave themselves,
we would be wed
we would be feasted
we are doubly fated, now.
In all the galaxy
none could be found
more closely to meet the needs
of custom,
of law,
of heredity,
of power.

If Alderaan lived,
these ancient ties would tangle me,
closer than a spider's faery web,
choiceless,
helpless,
hopeless
No matter where my heart might live,
No matter where my love holds strong,
no less reluctant for all I cherish him,
my twin.
Alderaan is lost,
yet I must choose.

If my loved homeworld lived today,
I would pass my lifetime
at Luke's side,
for I would be
my brother's bride.

Alderaan lives in me,
How will I choose?

And if I choose to free myself
from that fate,
to love with a whole heart whe'er I will,
to make my life my own, and give it as I will,
to throw off the robes of power, and lead only those who willingly follow,
and discard the roles of state, and know the woman beneath
I know o yes,
I know too well the price
the thousand, thousand, thousand lives
of Alderaan


written in June '83