Fair Price

The richly figured velvet of her gown,
Both soft and rough beneath her stroking hand,
Does much to smooth away her troubled frown.

For surely wealth and glory fill her land,
Her enemies are ever held at bay,
Her rule is all that she, and They, had planned.

And yet, she lingers where the minstrels play,
Her wigged head cocked to hear the music swell,
And faintly, oh so faintly, hates the Fey

Who ward her and her kingdom with Their spell,
And grant her what her land and subjects need --
A brilliant reign dark times may not dispel.

She only wishes now she'd paid more heed
To tales that sought to warn of Faerie Gold,
Instead of bowing to her selfless greed.

Immortal folk may never feel the cold
Of loveless lives where passion is a game
Played out in hands that They might keep or fold,

But she, alas, can not quite feel the same,
And though she knows her pact was wisely made,
Her heartless state defies her mortal frame,

And memories of days before Their aid
Still make her wish she might regret the trade.

When asked about why she chose the terza rima form for this subject, Marcie Tentchoff replied:

"I've long wondered if there is some link between the power and immortality of the fey, and the fact that they are often portrayed as cold and reserved. That led me to wonder what might happen to a mortal who accepted their aid. It might explain a bit about Elizabeth. I wanted to use a rhyming form that would have been around in that time period, but didn't want limit myself to the sonnet. After looking into a few forms, I realized that the terza rima just felt right. Hopefully I wasn't too influenced by Dante's use of it."

Listen to Marcie read her poem.
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