Small Offerings for The Muse - The Realm Of Venus

Small Offerings To The Muse

The Muse is the newsletter for the Worshipful Company of Bards, Troubadours and Jongleurs of Lochac.

PLEASE NOTE: Since creating this page I have stopped participating in the guild since it is performance based and does not recognise those of us who are purely writers. This is not meant as criticism, just a statement of fact.

Here are my latest offerings to the running of our guild newsletter - another cover page in both colour and monochrome, and an English Sonnet, in the style of William Shakespeare. I have done as he did in some cases and varied the iambic pentameter so that it is not so monotonous.

My Lord Hath Eyes That Shine Black as the Night

My Lord hath eyes that shine black as the night,
into mine they burn and my soul enflame,
His lightest touch did make mine heart take flight -
'Twas pierc'd in two, cupid's arrow to blame

Yet my lord he weeps, mine soul doth much move -
for love of mine heart doth he strive and seek
But I must bide my time, alone, 'till he prove
his soul's love be true, at once proud, and meek...

Should my lord's love prove true and deep and still,
My heart's secret I'll no longer deny
Of his black eyes mine own shall take their fill
In his arms I shall lie, and cry and die...

For what is love if unseen, unspoken
But the ghost of hopes, the barest token

Images for the cover of the summer edition Muse

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

A recent contribution to Lochac's bardic guild newsletter: another jpg image for the cover, and a lighthearted poem.

This time the aim for the cover page of The Muse was to create something in colour (for the webbed .pdf version of the newsletter) which would also look good in the monochrome required for the hard copies. This is the design:

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The poem was written on the spur of the moment. Someone on the garb email list I'm on had posted a light-hearted challenge for us to come up with a "late period garb Vs early period garb" poem - I went one step further and boasted of the superiority of late period Italian garb, the crowning glory of which is Venetian. It was a lot of fun, but is not a period style of poetry - it's a bit of filk whose only purpose is to give me practice and to make me smile. If others enjoy it that is a bonus!

The Ladies of Venice

I'm a "late period" woman,
I'll have to admit...
"Early period" can be pretty
But does lack quite a bit...

The followers of England
Do try to impress
With farthingales and corsets
And talk of Queen Bess...

And to those who claim Spain
Is the Queen of high fashion
In your black clothes and ruffs..
I can't share your passion

As every true daughter
Of Venus will tell you
Nor farthingale nor corset,
Nor ruff'd neck will do

To really catch the eye
Of the lord that you favour
The only way to go
Has an Italian flavour...

The Napoli are too stiff...
The Milanese thus too
Rome is much better, but
There's just one thing to do....

Go to Venice, my friends
Where so many have been
To see all the wonders
And to also be seen

The ladies of Venice,
Are more beautiful by far
Than any you may see
From both near and afar

They wear pearls in their hair
And down to their waist
Into their fine velvet gowns
By their servants they're placed..

A fine veil does not cover
The hair, but enhances
And thus the young ladies
Do gain many glances..

In this vein I could talk
Many days, weeks or years..
But I will not go further
Lest I talk off your ears

On a final note do I say,
That daughter of Venus am I
Venezia, La Serinissima,
Holds my heart till I die...

(Copyright, Lady Bella Lucia da Verona ORL)

I designed several variations on the same theme for the cover page of the first issue of "The Muse". They were in monochrome for ease of photocopying, as requested. I was honoured to have this one chosen for the first cover page for The Muse, the newsletter for the Worshipful Company of Bards, Troubadours and Jongleurs of Lochac.

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

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