Poem: The Banshee

I have kept a common title of the poems that I have compiled. It was a hectic week, and the result was that I shared a delayed response to Sarah Polyakov’s artwork and poetry.

Her artwork is mesmerizing and her poetry is magical, as you can see here.

Poem: When the Kingdoms Came Undone

The Banshee by Sarah Polyakov © 2023

Not one, but all the cinders fell,
And fires were put out, scattered in a deep well,
The day the kingdoms came undone.

Even the glass slipper shattered,
Remnants of icy kisses left love in tatters,
The day the kingdoms came undone.

The elder kings walked away; alliances torn.
Swearing they never would be reborn,
The day the kingdoms fell.

Empires turned to shadows, their rule unraveled,
Queens lost realms, and roads well-traveled.
The day the thrones came undone.

Crowns that once shimmered with gold,
Lifted by the alchemist’s hand, so bold.
The day the crowns came unwon.

No longer were borders marked with might,
Castles leveled, oh what a sight,
The day grand plans came unspun,

No longer bound by titles and birthrights,
People’s voices rose, they set their sights.
The day kingdoms had a bloody spell.

Over the hills, a banshee’s harrowing bellows.
Through the fallen, she sang a refrain,
Drop your arms; your wars are for the vain.

Patrons and poets, artisans and warriors,
They stepped forward, drawing lines in the sand,
As slices of morning touched their hands.

And in the aftermath of this great upheaval,
A new era emerged; phoenix from ash.
All shared equal footing, ending the power dash.

The day kingdoms came undone was not the undoing.
For when walls came down, and bridges crumbled,
Something new took form, led by the humbled.

-Sarah Polyakov © 2023

Priya wrote:

In so many ways, I see myself in this poem. I feel like my kingdom has fallen and I am now collecting myself to rise again. Love this Sarah!

Priya’s poetry is magical, but she brought a personal story into it. The Banshee inspired the Prolific Priya.

Much like her kingdom,
mine too was crumbling at my feet,
but brick by brick
My fortress was built with
sweat and tears, joys and fears
and I’m not about to give up now,
not after battling war after war
over many years
No, through the dark I will fight
and scramble for light
I will build and rebuild
to keep my kingdom right
because it took a village to get here
and that village is now
relying on me.

-Priya © 2023

Sarah wrote:

A big thank you to the Beautiful Priya Patel for continuing this poem and weaving together an incredible tapestry of words. 🙏❤️🌹

With Sarah and Priya falling for each other’s poetry, I watched their wizardry from the sidelines. Finally, my turn came. I looked at the picture of the Banshee and her eyes. She seemed to be deciding something, then the story formed in my mind.

Poem: The Last King and the Banshee

Lay the crown uneasy on the king’s head
His heart sunk and his reign has lost its thread

What was supposed to be his glorious reign
Now his kingdom teetering slowly toward ruin

For those who were obsequious and servile
It was their turn to become villains’ vile

Nobles and generals, dukes and counts
Even the royal horse forced him to dismount

Standing there on his pedestal alone
He saw a withering court from his throne

What would it take to keep the kingdom intact
Something, somebody had to create an impact

Ah, she was his love and possibly his last hope
Should he make her queen or with her, he elopes

His heart wanted to be with the banshee
In the darkness, he wanted them to flee

His fairy lived in the open lands of the wilderness
The courage he must muster, but too deep was his distress

A word in the wind, the scent of her floated in
They met secretly, in a faraway forest inn

She said — a weak king still wears a crown
A duty that he must not neglect and frown

He withered, dithered but she persists and prevails
If she was his queen, he could face the travails

For her love, forever he would leave his kingdom
For his kingdom, she would lose her freedom

A dilemma that they pondered over and over
A struggle that grew bigger by the hour

Finally, she rescinds and queen she would make
For, there were the people, the greater good to partake

Amid raised eyebrows and hateful frowns
The banshee now wears her crown

The new queen and king join the ballroom dance
But, now the broken and brittle kingdom has a chance

At least, the kingdom is saved from its death knell
Will he be the last king only time will tell.

-Ashok Subramanian © 2023

How happy I was to get their attention! How humbled I was to listen to their kind words.

Priya said:

You are such a story teller. Yours was the true response Sarah was looking for and a perfect followup to her poem. I liked the last line :) perfect ending.

Sarah added:

Ashok, that’s such an interesting twist where the King falls in love with the Banshee. Banshees are very much in a gray area because they don’t cause death. They can either have a correct premonition that someone will die and for this they cry. But, it has been said in some Irish lore that the Banshee protects families who have surnames that begin with an “Mc” or “Mac” or “O.” (MacDonald, O’Connell etc).

Her final words echoed the spirit of our collaboration.

Priya Patel and Ashok Subramanian I am thrilled with the story (poem) the three of us wrote together.
An enormous thank you to both of you for contributing your incredible talent. 🙏

Such is the magic of poetry when we have such collaborations. I wish for more, and I hope you enjoy this collaboration.

~Ashok Subramanian