The Red Petticoat

A period piece about Anne Boleyn.

You were no beauty, Anne Boleyn,

Your skin too dark, not fair,

Your eyes were brown, tho' almost black,

And dark, your dark brown hair;

'Not handsome,' the Ambassador

From Venice would opine,

But everyone agreed, your slender neck

Was very fine.

 

Your sister Mary wooed the King,

And took him to her bed,

She'd thought that she could win; he stayed

With Catherine, instead,

For Harry never dignified

The w****s he conquered, when

The skirts he couldn't raise were far

More Queenly, then, to him.

 

Your eyes, they sparkled, led him on,

Your lips they told him 'No!'

'I would not have my liege, my prince

Think badly of me so!'

For seven years you pouted, swore

Undying love could wait,

Until he gained the great divorce,

Re-sought the wedded state.

 

Oh, Anne Boleyn, the only sin

You sought was to be free,

To choose the man you would adore,

Not bound by some decree,

But Percy was then barred from court

As Wolsey warned him off,

And Wyatt's gentle poetry

Was merely Courtly Love.

 

To be demure and gentle,

Acquiesce in Henry's plans,

Was not the way of Anne Boleyn,

You used your pressing charms.

You could be stubborn, quarrelsome

As all in court could hear,

Chapuys called you a 'she-devil',

A woman men should fear.

 

And so it was with Thomas More,

You helped him disappear,

By whispering words of hatred in

King Henry's willing ear,

Your tongue brought Cardinal Wolsey down,

It ended Fisher's life,

You built your store of Karma as

Our Good King Henry's wife.

 

You had a bright red petticoat

Worn underneath your smock,

You'd laugh and flirt outrageously,

Excessively, de trop,

But you could not provide the heir

To bolster Henry's worth,

The first born was a pretty girl,

The next two died at birth.

 

Mark Smeaton played a pretty song

And to your chamber came,

With young Sir Henry Norris

And your brother, George Boleyn,

Sir Francis Weston, Brereton,

Would come to dance and sue

Their Courtly Love, but soon it turned

More sinister for you.

 

Jane Seymour fixed her eye on him,

Your oh, so loving lord,

And he began to wonder why

He'd blessed you with his word,

He asked of Thomas Cromwell

That he snoop, and spy, and bring

Such evidence that he might break

Your marriage bond to him.

 

Treason! For adultery,

And incest with Boleyn!

You wept and claimed your innocence,

But none were listening.

The men were taken to the tower,

And then to Tower Hill,

The axeman swung his greedy blade

And watched the five heads spill.

 

But not the axe for you, my Queen,

Your long and slender neck

Was much too fine to butcher,

To receive such scant respect.

They brought a swordsman from Calais,

A Frenchman for the Queen,

A master of his craft, he'd make

One slice, both swift and clean.

 

And so you tied your dark brown hair

Up high, to bare your neck,

You donned your bright red petticoat

No blood would show on that;

You gave your speech at Tower Green

Then knelt in whispered prayer,

The swordsman stood well back, his sword

Was hidden in the straw.

 

With one swift, powerful stroke, the blade

Made sure that you were dead,

Your lips still moved in muttered prayer,

Your eyes rolled in your head.

King Henry heard the news while he

Rode gaily, hunting deer,

And thought once of your petticoat...

Then rode to Jane Seymour.

 

David Lewis Paget.

Reviews

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

You deliver history to the door of the present, lay it gently at our feet, and watch as we willingly, unhesitatingly devour every word with glee. One cannot help but be enraptured and held captive by your words. They enthrall from first to last.

As always, I am humbled by the power of your pen. Every poem is a masterstroke.

Your friend in poetry,

Linda Marie

[Lena M. P.]

Oh King Henry was a devil himself. The court back then was it's own Patten Place and Valley of the Dolls rolled into one. You spun the tale quite proudly and did it justice.

[Valentine]

David, your mind and memory are amazing..You picfked history and brought it back to life and I was amazed at you story telling poetry and talent..Great job..God bless...Valentine

[Ray Hamilton]

Wonderful piece of work
But your writes are always interesting to read
They keep me glued to my chair till the very end
Thanks for the historical poem
Enjoyed Ray

[Leah Simone]

I recently viewed a movie about Anne - The Other Bolelyn - I believe it was - and also saw a few episodes of Tudors - the interesting thing is the variations of the story - as all great tales based on truth do evolve from one mouth to another, even written recordings - alter from one author to the next. There was a songlike quality to this - I could almost imagine a troubador setting it to music - passing down the story from generation to generation. The red petticoat was a great image - blood - seduction - the layers a woman wears closest to herself - seldom seen in full, only the part that kisses her feet. You packed a great deal of history into this poem and kept it from seeming too heavy.

[Michelle Tarnowski]

Truly a wonderful piece.

[C.T. Bailey]

Genius. Humbling. Edifying. Craftsmanship. Timeless.

Your writing ability...is...all of the above. Thank you.

[Norma J. Jessee]

Intricate, well written and enormously satisfying. Intense and draws the reader in from the first verse, leaving them gasping at the stunning climax and wanting to read the story of Anne Boleyn.
This is as good as it gets. Outstanding work.

[lilain]

This reminds me of those poetic stories of old, like The Highwayman by Noyes. I'm impressed with your language and the way you've weaved history into your art. Much like Homer, you've told a story, gripped the audience right down to the very end, and left us feeling sad over poor Anne's loss.

Great work.

[Wildfleour]

I am a lover of history and so this poem really was enjoyable to me. Thank you for your retelling.