By
TH Laird Colyne Steward, Lupine Bard, November AS 51 (2016)
My
Queen has asked me to recite
Fair
words about her forebears bright—
“My
regal mothers, were they fierce,
And
with sharp spears the foemen pierced?
Or
were they kind and debonair,
With
flowers in their braided hair?
And
did they work with silk and thread,
Or
were they bookish and well read?
Of
horses did they know their way,
And
could they lead the hounds that bay?
Oh
tell me, poet, of my past,
And
of my line, my mothers passed.”
“My
fairest queen, hear now your lore,
So
many others gone before,
Lo
each of them were royal true,
And
many were the things they’d do;
But
there was one who did them all,
Who
led her folk in field and hall,
With
those of wolf and of the bear,
Met
strong the tygre’s steely stare,
She
rode her stead in battle’s hell,
And
strode with spear and never fell.
She
bled her blood, she worked her hands,
For
betterment of all our lands.
With
needle, thread, she knew her art,
And
always giving from her heart,
She
clothed so many ‘gainst the cold—
Yet,
wait! For more there must be told!
Around
her children laughing play,
While
hounds, obedient, panting stay;
Within
her rooms are piled tomes
Among
her pins and fancy combs,
And
red and yellow hair bound flowers,
From
which she’s read in midnight hours.
So
worthy she, so right and true,
A
Pelican and Laurel too,
Countess,
Duchess and Baroness,
Her
name to you I will confess
‘Tis
Adrielle, the Iron Queen,
Whose
virtues I see in your mien.
Xristina,
ruler, sovereign,
My
duty now is duly done.”
During
the reign of Siegfried II and Xristina, the people of Ealdormere were
challenged to write a song, poem or story about one of the Queens of
Ealdormere. I choose Her Grace, Adrielle Kerrec, who I feel epitomizes all that
is noble within our Society. I wrote my poem as an amas, which was a genre in 7th century Ireland that
extolled the virtues of a local saint.
