The Anatomy of History

The throne, though impressive
is a hard master, and the bejeweled
crown rests heavily upon the king
afflicted with a conscience.

History does not remember him
nor does it acknowledge his benevolence,
preferring the payment of remembrance in the death cries
of men and enemies upon the misted battlegrounds.

What mettle of hero does the world desire?
Bards and skalds beg to sing of wolf kings
and the breaking of the world
heralding an age of legends and warriors.

There are no runestones that trill
with tales of velvet gloves but rather
they are etched by iron fists.
Kindness is often mistaken

for weakness, where good deeds
become the dust of the ages,
for history is written by the victors,
and they prefer their ink in blood.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

how true how true ... today and always ... leaders must not portray weakness .. it simply does not work ... however those with social conscience can remain strong and keep things in Justice's courts ... i love that you go back to wolf kings, runes and skalds .. not a word wasted nor one too many ..enjoyed this much ... i am reminded of the line by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young "...and there's a rose in the fisted glove ...and the eagle flies with the dove ... "
love the one your with :)
E.

[icelandicblue]

Thanks so much Einstein. I always appreciate your view of things.

[Mark]

Mostly true, with few exceptions. The kind rulers had to also be politic if they were to keep their thrones. Those that weren't, like Mary Queen of Scots, were destined to be losers.

[icelandicblue]

Thanks for your comment Mark.

[Vidya Bacchus]

I love this blue.It is .It is easy to judge and say if I were the boss I would do this different but if given the chance it isn't that easy.You end up making the same decisions that you claimed you never would because indeed "The throne, though impressive
is a hard master, and the bejeweled
crown rests heavily upon the king
afflicted with a conscience."
your lines are true . I absolutely love this :)

[icelandicblue]

Thank you so much Vidya for your enthusiastic review. It is appreciated.

[Vidya Bacchus]

You are welcome :)

[Baby Ricochet]

Bloody brilliant blue. One of my faves from you

[icelandicblue]

I'm honored and pleased that you liked this one BR. Thank you.

[A. Amos]

Good write and once again with such a meaning, totally enjoyed thanks for sharing

[icelandicblue]

Thank you so much for reading.

[A. Amos]

Always an honor and you're most welcome

[redflutterby]

Yes...Kings are not remembered by their kindness or diplomacy but by the power of thier fist. Ive been watching Game of Thrones (read the first three books) and this poem instantly took me to that. It also brought to mind Queen Elizabeth I, she knew that her reign was dependant upon her showing she could rule as a man would. Without any sign of weakness or emotion.

[icelandicblue]

Thank you Andrea. I too have read the Game of Thrones books; I happen to love that series. History remembers the warriors more often than the diplomats and I totally agree about Elizabeth I. She knew the template by which she had to rule. If you haven't read it I highly recommend The Other Boleyn Sister. Thanks for your thoughts on the whole subject. It's always good to see you.

[redflutterby]

Already read it and saw the movie!! Ive read a number of books about that time in Britains royalty. All that intrigue and betrayal. Always been fascinated by the people and the roles they played in history. ;-)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is quite good...often we don't want to know how we are protected, what our leaders do to keep us safe....we just want to be safe, even when we lose respect for what they do in ruling or in personal life.

i started humming a fleetwood mac song as i read this.

"rulers make bad lovers, you better put your kingdom up for sale"---

yes, i think most rulers have a conscience, and they don't like a lot of the things that they have to do.

really strong write.

[icelandicblue]

Thank you for the review and the lyrics jacob. It is always a pleasure to have you comment on one of my poems.

[Frieda P]

The caliber of this write is superb, that last stanza is killer, especially that last line. The wordage is commendable, but then you always excel there. Outstanding Anne.

[icelandicblue]

Wow thank you Frieda. I am touched and inspired by such an effusive review. I am honored.

[Frieda P]

You most certainly deserve the kudos. Was my pleasure....