Finding Ann Boleyn

Marriage, betrayal, death
echoes of the past, fear,
Am I dreaming?

Eyes open slowly, darkness,
hard floor, sore body
What's that?

Awareness dawns,
I am sleeping in the Tower of London,

A distant woman's voice,
a plaintive whisper,
"Help me?"

Soft footsteps,
Coming closer,
Is that her?

Ann Boleyn is who I seek,
Killed by King Henry VIII to make room for another.

Misty white,
Chaotic luminosity in the darkness
Is that her ghost?

Shadows play in my mind,
Images form on the cold gray walls,
Is my perception skewed?

I no longer trust my senses,
I close my eyes.

Cool damp breath on my face,
Tingling, fear,
Should I look?

I feel the anguished pain,
I feel the betrayal and abandonment,
What should I do?

Ann is here,
humanity let her down, now she is back.

Guilt overwhelms,
heart pounds,
Can I suppress the panic?

I am guilty! As the living we are all guilty!
I run away in shame.
Never to return.