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Writer's picturechristina

Shakespeare’s Tragic Babes [poems]

Updated: Jan 29, 2021



Juliet


O Juliet O Juliet

What has thou done

In youthful love’s name

You Atropo’s job hasten

Two souls sworn as one


Clotho halts the loom

Listen to Lachesis sing

Measures of sweet madness

One, two at fates’ doom


Blood is on thy hands

O sweet young Juliet

This thy own undoing

You begged of the fates

To unite two young souls

Forever under the moon


 

Ophelia


Rivers of flowing golden locks

Garnished with garland of laurel

Limbs spread one North one South

Planted firmly on green miry moss

Beconing the birth of mankind

Stirring the loins of married men

Sits wrapped in a woolen cloak

Skin as pale as the finest chalk

Lips as soft as pinkest rose pedals

Eyes the depth of deepest voids

Dark corridors leading to madness

Such is the fate of sweet Ophelia


 

Lavinia

Oh Mighty Titus your seed was doomed

Entering life the third day of the third month

Life’s blows would be dealt to her in threes

Such was the fate of Titus’ tiny girl babe

The gift of songs ripped from her throat

hands to rot in the woods of no more use

Her tongue and hands taken for your sins

Cruel perhaps yet paled to Titus himself


So black your heart even Lucifer rejoiceth

Three suitors mighty Titus would betray

As three sot revenge on sweet Lavinia

For which her father snuffed out her life


 

Cordelia


a story of love’s betrayal

three daughter’s he had

Cordelia, Goneril, Regan

the mad vain King Lear


youngest and favorite of

all was beautiful Cordelia

he could not see her love

blinded by his own vanity


summoned by their father

to profess their devotion

sisters Goneril and Regan

tongues rattled like snakes


her love found in actions

she professed no words

love and be silent for she

wound Not commit heresy

against her beloved father


this enraged vain King Lear

he banished young Cordelia

and divided his entire fortune

among the two who feigned

loyalty and love to his ego


Cordelia returned too late

when she heard King Lear

was driven to madness by

his own chosen daughters


with love still in her heart

she forgave him his betrayal

before being hung from a tree

by her own two loving sisters






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