The History of the Kingdom of The West
Bardic Arts

A Whimsy for Juana
by
Branwen ferch Emrys

The guise of our Queen is mysterious.
At the turn of the fourth month it's new!
I know you all think me delerious,
but I've seen it and know it is true.

Our Queen may lack fighting prowess,
yet She's wise and deserving of fame.
But I do wish Her aspect would change less--
I find I've forgot Her new name!

You think we'd deplore all this mystery
and find it our Kingdom's great flaw,
but one truth flows through our history:
The Word of the Queen is the Law.

In the past month the Queen's hair's gone scarlet
and its shade has become rather dark,
and She spends Her free time with some varlet
from An Tir, the gossips remark.

The Queen's taste has shifted to frillier,
with embroidery green on each gown.
Her wit has transposed to the sillier.
The one thing unchanged is Her crown.

So, what if I don't wear my gown green,
and believe all that's silly absurd?
For four months do honor to your Queen--
The Law of the land is Her Word.

This poem sprang from two ideas. The first was to consider what would other people in the real Middle Ages think if the Kingdom of the West actually existed right next to them, with our odd habit of changing royalty every few months. The second was to point out to the egalitarian side of myself that if you give absolute power to a monarch, you must accept the decrees you disagree with along with the ones you agree with. And of course, since the poem was for Juana, it had to be silly. -- Branwen

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