***
***
My love,
I pray you forgive me for this.
By the time that this letter is received,
I would have found peace in my
childbed.
Please, have mercy on my handmaid, Hui.
I insisted that she compose and deliver
my final words to you herself...
As one of the proud flowers of
your golden garden,
I braced myself but I was still
unprepared for the chill of regret,
and winters of loveless eternities.
I will forever love and appreciate
the warmth you provided me.
I know your love is a true promise,
never one made on illusory grounds.
But what is the point of love if it is
shown yet true thoughts remain unsaid?
Before you, I am a mere moth,
and I prayed I never have to face your regal ire...
And though my heart bleeds greatly for the losses
of our twin fruits, it weeps even more
so for the loss of my sisters.
Meihua was kissed by her blade.
Yuyan was caressed by wine of gold silkworms.
I will not deny that Yuyan was proud
but she too had the dragon's blood,
it was expected of her to be so fierce.
But I never doubted her affections for you.
Forgive me if I impose but
I pray you forgive the frost of her words,
and not take them to heart.
Such thorns are born from a place of great anguish,
and it pains me so much to see you racked with it...
Even more so now because the Gods saw it fit
to take back our son and daughter both.
As the nights grow longer for me, and the days
more painful, I simply ask that you do not
take out your pain on the Second Prince.
None of us are perfect, my love.
Yuyan had fire, perhaps even too much of it...
And for that, she reduced Meihua and herself
down to embers.
Sister Yan's thoughts of Sister Han
were hot and biting, and I cannot say what
truly happened between them,
to the point that it resulted in so much bloodshed...
But I beseech you, please do not take out
the sins of the mother on your son.
Hong'er is such a sweet and smart boy.
I imagine he has came to beg you for his mother's
mercy. That cannot be faulted, he is still a child.
Though I failed in my duty of bearing your
regal dragonseeds, I love all your children
as if they were mine own...
And soon, I will be with our ill fated children,
Our sweet son, Bai and gentle daughter, Ding'an...
I beeseech you, please, please do not blame Hong'er.
Your son needs you more, now more than ever.
Please give him all the love and support he needs
from his father now that his mother is gone.
Such a sweet child should not live a life alone...
Please promise me that you will try, that he will not be
left alone. And, if I may be so bold, confess it
to my body while it is still warm.
I may not respond, but I assure you that I will hear it.
And I will be watching of you and yours as
I tend to our babes in the Heavens,
Provided my soul is accepted and clean enough
for their Gates...
I pray you forgive me,
I am naught but a feeble, weak woman
who has failed her family, her sisters,
her children and now her husband.
Forgive me for adding more onto your grief.
But know that I am watching, with the
lotus fan you gave me many Summers ago
on my breast...
I pray that you will come through this storm
unscathed, and that you will soon know peace,
my dear Dragon King...
Yours cordially,
The Lotus
Taihe ✾
***
***
Jun 30, 2020
Jun 30, 2020 at 10:04 AM UTC
***
***
My love,
I pray you forgive me for this.
By the time that this letter is received,
I would have found peace in my
childbed.
Please, have mercy on my handmaid, Hui.
I insisted that she compose and deliver
my final words to you herself...
As one of the proud flowers of
your golden garden,
I braced myself but I was still
unprepared for the chill of regret,
and winters of loveless eternities.
I will forever love and appreciate
the warmth you provided me.
I know your love is a true promise,
never one made on illusory grounds.
But what is the point of love if it is
shown yet true thoughts remain unsaid?
Before you, I am a mere moth,
and I prayed I never have to face your regal ire...
And though my heart bleeds greatly for the losses
of our twin fruits, it weeps even more
so for the loss of my sisters.
Meihua was kissed by her blade.
Yuyan was caressed by wine of gold silkworms.
I will not deny that Yuyan was proud
but she too had the dragon's blood,
it was expected of her to be so fierce.
But I never doubted her affections for you.
Forgive me if I impose but
I pray you forgive the frost of her words,
and not take them to heart.
Such thorns are born from a place of great anguish,
and it pains me so much to see you racked with it...
Even more so now because the Gods saw it fit
to take back our son and daughter both.
As the nights grow longer for me, and the days
more painful, I simply ask that you do not
take out your pain on the Second Prince.
None of us are perfect, my love.
Yuyan had fire, perhaps even too much of it...
And for that, she reduced Meihua and herself
down to embers.
Sister Yan's thoughts of Sister Han
were hot and biting, and I cannot say what
truly happened between them,
to the point that it resulted in so much bloodshed...
But I beseech you, please do not take out
the sins of the mother on your son.
Hong'er is such a sweet and smart boy.
I imagine he has came to beg you for his mother's
mercy. That cannot be faulted, he is still a child.
Though I failed in my duty of bearing your
regal dragonseeds, I love all your children
as if they were mine own...
And soon, I will be with our ill fated children,
Our sweet son, Bai and gentle daughter, Ding'an...
I beeseech you, please, please do not blame Hong'er.
Your son needs you more, now more than ever.
Please give him all the love and support he needs
from his father now that his mother is gone.
Such a sweet child should not live a life alone...
Please promise me that you will try, that he will not be
left alone. And, if I may be so bold, confess it
to my body while it is still warm.
I may not respond, but I assure you that I will hear it.
And I will be watching of you and yours as
I tend to our babes in the Heavens,
Provided my soul is accepted and clean enough
for their Gates...
I pray you forgive me,
I am naught but a feeble, weak woman
who has failed her family, her sisters,
her children and now her husband.
Forgive me for adding more onto your grief.
But know that I am watching, with the
lotus fan you gave me many Summers ago
on my breast...
I pray that you will come through this storm
unscathed, and that you will soon know peace,
my dear Dragon King...
Yours cordially,
The Lotus
Taihe ✾
***
***
This is a continuation of my poem,'The Screen', exploring the thoughts of 6 women and here is the 3rd letter. As stated before, there will be 6 letters in total, with entwining stories.
Each of them are consort, married to a King.
Meihua was first, then Yuyan and now, Taihe!
I hope you enjoyed it, I just let the emotions flow out of me.
And I'm so happy that I've hit the halfway mark now!
Once the collection is completed, I will let you all know and post the link.
Do tell me what you think!
Be back soon with more letters and poems!
And thank you so so much for 352 followers!
You guys are amazing!
Take care everyone, stay safe and well.
Much love,
Lyn
Here are the links to the Screen and Meihua's Message. Please have a look at them when you have the time as there is more to their stories.
The Screen [Intro]: https://hellopoetry.com/poem/2667918/the-screen/
Meihua's Message: https://hellopoetry.com/poem/2681085/meihuas-message/
Yuyan's Message: https://hellopoetry.com/poem/3919420/yuyans-message/
Request permission to use this poem