Veiled
Become a
Premium Member
and post notes and photos about your poem like Hilo Poet.
Poetic Form: Narrative
Inspired: 2024 March 29
Image: Lizzie Borden (1860-1927) by WalM
"Lizzie Borden took an axe,
gave her mother forty whacks,
when she saw what she had done,
gave her father forty-one,
she washed herself from a watered pail,
she claimed their lies and vicious tales,
she pled not guilty and moaned and wailed,
the court believed she was freed from jail,
she got all dressed up wearing her veil,
years later the axe displayed
the truth was told
to those who were dead
or much too old," ... by the Poet
(OH NO! Not again!) "Oops!"
"She's up!"
"How long this time Frankie?"
"A whole half hour my dear Lizzie."
"Please don't tell my dear sister, I don't want her to fret so early in the morning, Frankie."
"But you'll be owing me, perhaps a favorite medley, Lizzie."
"My sister found a doctor who can help me resolve my sleepwalking issues."
"Oh and um, what of the other ..."
"When time permits Frankie, miracles can't be performed all at once. These matters take time. Now I best be going, and so must you--school's a-waiting!"
"Ta-ta!"
"Bye, Lizzie ... Good morning, Mr. Borden, sir."
"Good morning, Frankie, I hope my dear daughter has not been much of a bother this morning my young man."
"Not at all, sir, not at all!"
"Father, such nonsense!"
"Pass my love to the little ones, Frankie!"
"Don't keep your father waiting Lizzie!"
"A lady would never do that, Frankie. I will tell him that my sleepwalking issues may soon be over. That might put a smile on his face."
"Stop doting, Lizzie, and for Gawd's sake, put on your veil at once, you've been warned repeatedly that with too much sun on your fragile skin, you'll break out all over your face and you'll be scarred for life, and won't be the marrying sort and end up being a schoolmarm! Now go and help your mother until your sister arrives shortly, and do remember your veil."
"Yes, Father, I'll always remember to be veiled! I may not have a favorite music to remember. I am sure the whole world will remember why Lizzie Borden was ... veiled!"
[REVISION]
AFTER the trial, they arrived at their home and entered through the kitchen backdoor to avoid the crowd gathering outside by the front entryway. Straightaway, Lizzie removed her veil and looked at it as if for the first time. Her sister who had just removed her hat, turned and saw Lizzie, smiling with admiration at the veil. She then turned away from Lizzie as her hands held onto the kitchen counter nearby. At that moment, she realized that she had words that she would never repeat for the remainder of her lifetime.
"My dear Lizzie, please tell me, please tell me true. It's only the two of us here now and whatever is said between us will never leave my lips ever again.."
'"Oh my dear, dear, sister, how do you fret so. The court found me completely innocent, or I would not be here speaking with you. Oh, my dear, dear sister."
Lizzie goes up to her sister who's now positioned facing her, goes and hugs her while still holding the veil. She walks away holding veil and starts to fold it.
"Now, we'll have no more of that and there's nothing to worry about, that silly trial is over."
"Yes, Lizzie, the trial is over, but not the truth."
"Are you going to keep on with that. They couldn't find the murder weapon. They believe that the murderer broke into the home and committed the heinous murder and left the house with the murder weapon. The police detectives did a complete search of the house, upstairs the main floor, and the basement and found nothing."
"Where were you? Why would the murderer not see you, Lizzie?"
"You know where I was, sister dear. Everybody in the courtroom heard me say that I was at the marketplace at our usual spots. You know where they are." "Yes, and the court brought all of them in. The beautician, the grocer, the bag lady, even the flower girl, and none of them saw you there that day, Lizzie."
"Yes, I heard them testify, and they admitted that they were sort of busy."
"I wouldn't blame any of them, after all, I was veiled."
"I passed right by them, with the passing crowds, and those who browsed. I was there wearing my ruffled velvet-laced veil, ruffling and crinkling away, and all they heard was nothing. Not-A-Thing, my dear sister."
She holds up her veil, against the kitchen lights, though all sprawled out, and hadn't noticed that her sister left the room. Then, suddenly, ... she hears her sister's voice.
"Lizzie."
Through the laced veil, she sees her sister holding the ax. The murder weapon that she found, and that the police detectives, did not.
As if she doesn't notice, Lizzie goes on to say,
"Looking through this laced veil, there seems to be a distortion of things, you don't see things clearly, and it was such a bother to wash, all that scrubbing, it just wouldn't come off you know."
"I know that it was very difficult, Lizzie."
"The minute I saw your new veil, that one in your hands, Lizzie." She then reached out to Lizzie and held her saying.
"I know twas a difficult thing, everything gets distorted, all that scrubbing, it was my sister."
She tightly held Lizzie and said, "I know Lizzie, I know, ... I know how difficult ... Father, can be."
"Now, it's finally your turn not to fret, Lizzie. I'm going to return this thing where I found it, and then I'm coming back, and we'll make dinner--together, like old times, ... with endless laughter!"
"Ohh, what about this veil, I don't ...,"
"You don't need it anymore Lizzie, you're free, you don't need anything that makes things appear to be wrong, or distorted, ... you're finally free Lizzie!"
"It's been such a long while, ... it's time for the unveiling!"
"Oh, are you gettin' a jump on the laughter, are we, sister dear?" "I have got a splendid idea, let's invite Frankie for dinner."
"Lizzie, do you think he'll be okay about the result of the trial?"
"Oh, um, I think he already knows sister."
Her sister then looks at the axe strangely.
Lizzie goes on to say, "Oh no, no, no, not about that. I think Frankie already knows, about Father, and all that."
"Go get Frankie, I'll get rid of the ax and veil!"
Copyright © Hilo Poet | Year Posted 2024
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.
Please
Login
to post a comment