A Poem of the Week

Okay, so this week, I didn't have much to rant about, so I decided to post this poem instead. Thank you very much Emma, for all that you did for it.(Most all of it) Enjoy.

Emma Valentine and Max Marshall

12/11/14

Period 3

A Tale of Two Men

Darnay Carton

The revolution’s going strong

Burning like a flame

Now I am behind bars

Because Evermonde’s my name

Now here I am in a cell

Because I’m the Marquis

I don’t want people to get hurt

Because

         That’s not me

Selfish, drunken introverted, people assume

All of these put together

How can my life resume?

It’s the question people ask

Because this is a life I cannot lead

The love I lost to another

But she was never mine to keep

Lucie is the love I lost

A beauty who lives without a care

Who now stands with the man Darnay

         That’s not fair

I cannot die in here

     It’s not what I want

For the Manettes to mourn him

I must save the Evermonde

                                                 And then I see him, alone

Past the light’s glare

Glancing at the mirror

Feeling his indirect stare

His face seems familiar

A face I’d never forget

            His face is mine, identical

Making this easier yet.

To keep this man from death.

My twin of a different life

One better than mine,

Free of stress, free of strife

I remember that day, clear as crystal

And now here I am behind bars

With the man from before

Carton, who’s told me

They can do no more

To try and save my life

This is the day I fear

I can’t leave my wife, child

But everything’s in gear

I’m asked to switch clothes

And do so, turning my back

And I am slipped a drink

And everything goes black

Now under a different name,

In the carriage that will lead to my death

Taking another man’s blame

This is for Darnay and his family

For whom I used to live

Now I sacrifice myself

The ultimate thing to give

Brought up to the block

I can barely watch him go

Watching the line get shorter, shorter

No one able to watch the heads drop below

This poor girl, a seamstress

Barely able to hurt a fly

Convicted of conspirating against the nobles

Now unfortunately is going to die.

And now it’s Carton’s turn

And I can’t avert my gaze

As the shining blade, prepped to fall

Takes me out of my haze

   What’s this for?

If not me, it would be Darnay

I bite my tongue to hold in unsaid words

Keeping any uproar at bay.

And now it’s my time to depart

From this lonely world of mine

I swallow my pride and with my eyes closed

Convince myself it’s for the best, it’s my time.

France needs to learn

   Eye for an eye

      Makes the whole world blind

      Now I can’t watch Lucie cry

What they have to learn

               Liberte (lee-ber-teh)

Liberty

Equalite (ee-qual-ih-teh)

Equality

Fraternite (frah-ter-ni-teh)

Brotherhood.

Like the brother I never had is he

 And now the world seems bleak

          As the blade of cruel mistress, Guillotine, drops , I think

  Vive la republique (vee-vay lah ree-pub-leek)