Versailles Vibrations. Poem by Michael Walker

I have mixed nonfiction and fiction in the poem. I did spend a day at Versailles, but in slightly different circumstances. I took many photo-slides which I still have. Slide evenings, using a projector and screen at home, were popular then. Not any more. It was easy to take slides, just like photographs.
I see this as 'poetry with some history', as Pound defined his 'Cantos'. I have tried to make the history accessible and relevant to today: I had to leave out many more details than I included, as Versailles is rich in the history of France. It would not be right to 'dumb things down' too much either.
The palace is massive and set on three floors, each with a North, South, and West Wing and it would be impossible to describe it all.






Note: Le Grand Trianon and Le Petit Trianon are two smaller palaces, which are part of the Chateau de Versailles complex.
In his own lifetime, and now, Napoleon Bonaparte was popularly known as 'the little corporal', which he was at first in the Republican armies, but was soon promoted to General. There is a good popular song 'Done With Bonaparte' by Mark Knopfler.
What was reinforced to me in the Revolution and Republic rooms is that real power resides in the people, not in any particular social group or class. On that point, Marx was right.
I say that the Revolution nearly finished the Bourbon monarchy because that House was restored to rule in 1814, the king being Louis XVIII,1814-1821, then Charles X,1824-1830. Louis-Philippe d'Orleans ruled 1830-1848, when he was deposed in the February Revolution. Louis-Philippe was France's last king.
My friend and I felt the vibrations of history at Versailles, where there were also good vibrations between us.