Ian Reed - Constance Defiled

Not that she was a virgin, by no means. Often her guardians,
The imperial family, holding her honor cheap, sold her
As a sex slave in the palace orgies, and even mounted her
Themselves from time to time, when mere immorality
Became boring and incest a new form of diversion. Yet never
In all her days, though many were the scoundrels raised
To prominence by unmerited privilege, did any stoop to rape,
Until a new emperor -- son of an emperor, but ten times the devil
His father was, one who murdered to wear the royal mantle,
A reincarnate Caligula bearing a yellow rose nestled inside
His womanish bosom -- did so, or rather -- too little in strength
Himself to fashion the dreadful act his mind conceived, no
Not even the wherewithal of his feeblest ancient eunuch --
Ordered his palace guard, the Praetorian element
To take her against her will, and not merely undermine her
But strip her, torture her, humiliate her. The race of lawyers,
Hirelings, told him his was the authority to set aside the law. [1]
They said it was "inherent in his office". [2] So crying Terror!
The soldiers ravished her, not once, not twice, but over and over,
While the populace, hearing she was a harlot -- so they were told
And so they believed -- cheered on and echoed Terror! Terror!
Apart from a dissenting remnant, but their voices were not heard
Amid the uproar of official messengers, papers of record,
Hirelings doing the bidding of the five-sided ministry,
As the delicate prince, [3] determined to destroy, let slip the terriers
Of war his opiate, his troops of Tereuses, [4] to cut down the flower
Of manhood of ancient Persia, to deflower the princesses,
The dark-hued beauties scented with saffron, frankincense
And myrrh, perfumes of Arabia, as beloved of wisest Solomon. [5]
Them the emperor by proxy stained, tearing tender maidenhoods.
No less a spoil of war herself, back in the palace Constance wept,
Cursing the day of her birth when founder Franklin fathered her
And that once glorious and auspicious dawn, when to a brave
New world, he brought her blushing, an imperfect but belovèd
Bride, to the adoration of a nascent nation, but even that, once
A collective memory would be forgotten, for the emperor found
The fragments of frail truth yet surviving to posterity, to be
An inconvenient fiction, so replaced history with orthodoxy,
Learning with patriotism, the daily sacrifice with a pagan altar
To the war god Mars [6] -- such abomination that causes desolation --
That all should bow before in word and deed and cultish creed
And all the peoples think and feel as he decreed,
So few there were in Constance' hour of need.

[1] 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

[2] A Pentagon report, obtained by the Wall Street Journal, concludes the authority to set aside laws was "inherent in the president" (see www.democracynow.org - June 8, 2004 - 'Bush Administration Ruled it Could Ignore Torture Laws'). George W. Bush himself also signed the following memo, dated Feb. 7, 2002: "I accept the legal conclusion of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice that I have the authority to suspend Geneva [application of the Geneva Conventions] as between the U.S. and Afghanistan. I reserve the right to exercise this authority in this or future conflicts."

[3] See William Shakespeare, 'Hamlet', III.vii.50-56: "Witness this army of such mass and charge,/ Led by a delicate and tender prince,/ Whose spirit with divine ambition puffed/ Makes mouths at the invisible event,/ Exposing what is mortal and unsure/ To all that fortune, death and danger dare,/ Even for an eggshell."

[4] In Greek mythology, Tereus, king of Thrace, raped his wife's sister (Philomela) then cut out her tongue so that she could not inform against him."

[5] Song of Solomon 1:5-6

[6] Daniel 11:31, 12:11