Eternal Lovers Meet Upon the Turret Stairs
A fiction poem inspired by 'The Meeting on The Turret Stairs'
Good afternoon fellow people and poets, I hope this Sunday is treating you well.
Today’s poem differs from my usual, this one is a narrative fiction poem inspired by the painting ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ by Frederic William Burton, painted in 1900 (this painting was included in the first of my monthly art features) But the inspiration for this painting came from a medieval Danish ballad.
‘Hildebrand and Hellelil’, translated by William Morris from Poems by the Way (1891) is a ballad that tells the story of two forbidden lovers, a princess and her personal guard. When their relationship was discovered Hellelil’s father ordered her brothers to execute Hildebrand
Original ballad translated from Danish: https://victorianweb.org/authors/morris/poems/50.html
I hope you enjoy this piece featuring both the POVs of Hellelil and Hildebrand.
Eternal Lovers Meet Upon the Turret Stairs
O’ love, my love, I stand and stall
Forbade to say my name outside here,
Lest it bounce against the tower walls
And travel to thy father's ear.
Watch and pick up thy flower there.
Handprint off the wall, tuck back in thy pleated hair.
Extend thy arm so I may kiss fabric so thin.
Lips on thy gown so there is no trace upon skin.
Seconds savoured as I pass by thy white white frame.
Eyes shut unable to bare as I hold so little, whispering thy name.
O’ love, my love, my Hildebrand.
My charming watch and ward
Good kings' son of English land
Stay with me on the turret stairs, my lord
In less company, forbade thy name to speak I am not
Hold on with thine hands, let us build anew from a world forgot
Withheld from skin to skin I yearn to hold thee freely
Afar from seven brethren awaiting to take thee from me so easy
Knowing I can see thou anytime, eyes fluttered shut
Seconds stand still in eternity, basking in thy fleeting touch
With eight fatal wounds one lover bled in pain
Secretive love, shown and touched with scarce
One heartbroken lover sold in chains
afterlife safe from tragedy, their love remains unhidden upon the turret stairs
Thank you for reading this poem (inspired by a painting, inspired by a ballad.) I have plans to introduce some more fiction to this newsletter, so if there’s a positive reception expect more soon.
Until the next, stay weird.
Kaci xc