Supper
Never before has she danced so well.
Now she stands before him, her feet bare,
Anklets lightly jangling,
Veils rasping with each gasp of breath,
Head bowed, submissive
Though inwardly she exults. The king, after-dinner expansive,
Says she can name her price
And, as instructed, she asks for his head.
On a charger, the story says.
From a Middle English word for a large flat dish
Used to carry a large joint of meat.
On a platter, we would have it.
Beverley Bie Brahic, from Against Gravity, Worple Press, 2005.
With thanks to Worple Press.
Sculpture by Colin Mallett.
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Published by Anthony Wilson
I am a lecturer, poet and writing tutor. I work in teacher and medical education at the University of Exeter. My anthology Lifesaving Poems, based on the blog of the same name, is available from Bloodaxe Books. Love for Now, my memoir of cancer, is published by Impress Books. Deck Shoes, a book of prose memoir and criticism, and The Afterlife, my fifth book of poems, are available now from Impress Books and Worple Press. My current research project is Young Poets' Stories: https://youngpoetsstories.com/. This blog is archived by the British Library.
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Thank you, Anthony, for all your inspiring posts. A wise move. Time to recharge your batteries. Look after yourself. Jane 🙂
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