Poem: Henry, meet Henry. (Henry IV)
Fandom: Henry the Fourth (Part One)
Characters: Henry IV, Henry Percy, Prince Hal, Hotspur, Falstaff, Kate
Summary: There are four Henrys
Notes: I am neither Shakespeare nor Siken, though I wish I were.
Word Count: 482
There are four Henrys. Two of them are fathers. All of them are sons, but both of the grandfathers are dead. One of the fathers sits in the throne and one of the fathers put him there. None of the Henrys were born royalty and two of the Henrys want to keep it that way. One of the sons becomes a new person and one of the fathers has other people become him. The brother of one of the Henrys understands his nephew better than his own father does. One of the Henrys doesn’t understand his son in the slightest.
Say the revolution is the space between two men. Say the monarchy is the space between two men. The monarchy starts a hare because it has more to lose. The revolution had nothing in the first place, and besides, the blood more stirs to rouse a lion. They fight over a sandwich God rejected, with men as their weapons.
Two Henrys think they should have been switched at birth. One of them wants to tear the world apart and one of them wants to make it better. Which England do you want? The burning earth or the invading army? There will be a fight soon and you’ll have to choose. For now it’s nothing so dramatic. Carouse in Eastcheap or mock a popinjay. Choose one, but be warned that either could shift the planet on its axis.
Three of the Henrys are married, but none of them are married to you. You thought you might be, once, but you can be satisfied with affection and mutual respect. You pretend to be Henry and he pretends to be his father. For a few minutes you’re almost family, and you try to keep it that way. If only it could be so easy to change your name, your face, your nature.
Henry defends his father from a man who runs. Henry defends his father from the speculation about his absence. The two Henrys finally meet. Henry is not afraid. If he dies today, it will be at the hands of another Henry, one he’d be proud to know in any other life. Everything starts or everything changes with the moments they have. Now you must choose. Which future do you want, which England? It’s all over now. Henry stands victorious over the Henry who lies bleeding on the ground.
One Henry leaves behind a Kate and leaves her childless. He is the last of his line. Another Henry grows up, reforms, and marries a Kate. His son is the first of their line who counts as royalty. Henry thinks about that other Henry, the one he killed. It could have been so beautiful. What would we have done together, Henry? But Henry can’t answer. Rest his soul, he’s dead. So he settled for the best he could get. Kiss me, Kate. Now kiss me.
Characters: Henry IV, Henry Percy, Prince Hal, Hotspur, Falstaff, Kate
Summary: There are four Henrys
Notes: I am neither Shakespeare nor Siken, though I wish I were.
Word Count: 482
There are four Henrys. Two of them are fathers. All of them are sons, but both of the grandfathers are dead. One of the fathers sits in the throne and one of the fathers put him there. None of the Henrys were born royalty and two of the Henrys want to keep it that way. One of the sons becomes a new person and one of the fathers has other people become him. The brother of one of the Henrys understands his nephew better than his own father does. One of the Henrys doesn’t understand his son in the slightest.
Say the revolution is the space between two men. Say the monarchy is the space between two men. The monarchy starts a hare because it has more to lose. The revolution had nothing in the first place, and besides, the blood more stirs to rouse a lion. They fight over a sandwich God rejected, with men as their weapons.
Two Henrys think they should have been switched at birth. One of them wants to tear the world apart and one of them wants to make it better. Which England do you want? The burning earth or the invading army? There will be a fight soon and you’ll have to choose. For now it’s nothing so dramatic. Carouse in Eastcheap or mock a popinjay. Choose one, but be warned that either could shift the planet on its axis.
Three of the Henrys are married, but none of them are married to you. You thought you might be, once, but you can be satisfied with affection and mutual respect. You pretend to be Henry and he pretends to be his father. For a few minutes you’re almost family, and you try to keep it that way. If only it could be so easy to change your name, your face, your nature.
Henry defends his father from a man who runs. Henry defends his father from the speculation about his absence. The two Henrys finally meet. Henry is not afraid. If he dies today, it will be at the hands of another Henry, one he’d be proud to know in any other life. Everything starts or everything changes with the moments they have. Now you must choose. Which future do you want, which England? It’s all over now. Henry stands victorious over the Henry who lies bleeding on the ground.
One Henry leaves behind a Kate and leaves her childless. He is the last of his line. Another Henry grows up, reforms, and marries a Kate. His son is the first of their line who counts as royalty. Henry thinks about that other Henry, the one he killed. It could have been so beautiful. What would we have done together, Henry? But Henry can’t answer. Rest his soul, he’s dead. So he settled for the best he could get. Kiss me, Kate. Now kiss me.