Entry from Ricard Kelly

A Valentine’s poetry competition for lovers of history

A poll will run from 4–12 February to choose the winner, who will be announced on Valentine’s Day.

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A Valentine Unsent

Paris, Pluviôse, Year II

Citizeness, they’d have me say. But no -

Madame, I watched you ride the tumbrel’s way,

Hair shorn close, hands bound tight, and though

I cheered with all the rest that October day,

I confess I did not expect the quiet.

L’Autrichienne, we spat it like a curse

The she-wolf glutting on the people’s diet,

Bleeding poor France to fill the royal purse.

And yet you stepped down with such clumsy grace

Trod upon the executioner’s boot.

He grumbled; you apologised. Your face

Held neither rage nor plea. Serene, and mute.

I had imagined satisfaction, Madame.

Fifteen years’ hunger, of watching my mother

Weep over bread she could not buy. Your name

Was all our grievance. Yet somehow or other,

Standing in that crowd, I thought instead

Of how your son was taken, how you wept,

Of how they say you woke each day with dread

And for a moment, something in me stepped

Outside the pure arithmetic of justice.

You were foolish, yes. You never understood

The world beyond your gilt and powdered bliss.

But I wonder now if any of us could

Have learned, had we been raised in such a cage,

To see beyond the mirrors and the roses?

I do not write to pardon; history’s page

Is inked already, and the chapter closes.

But it is February, and the wine is thin,

And I find myself remembering your face

Not the tyrant, but the tired woman within,

Who apologised for stepping out of place.

I hated what you were. I’ll not unsay it.

But you died with better manners than we showed.

If that is not a kind of grace, I’ll weigh it

Against the debt we told you that you owed.

Rest, Madame. The Revolution sends

Too late, and unsigned

This strange Valentine that half-offends

And half-admires. I remain,

A citizen, conflicted but resigned.

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To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we’re delighted to announce a brand new writing competition created especially for fans of Jodi Taylor.

This time, we’re inviting you to put pen to paper and compose a Valentine’s Day poem addressed to a famous person from history. The poem can be romantic, witty, heartfelt or mischievous, but it must include rhyming couplets. Submissions close on Saturday, 31st January, after which all entries will be published on Jodi's social media for readers to enjoy. The winner will be chosen through a public poll held between 1st and 13th February, and announced on 14th February. As a lasting keepsake, the winner will receive a beautifully framed copy of their poem.

CLICK HERE to submit your edited and formatted entry in Word document form.

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