It feels so long ago, yet time does repeat,

Where feet of today do still tread the streets,

In a sacred place that is surprisingly near,

And eyes still look upon that place held so dear.

There a man enthroned the queen of his romantic heart,

Thus forever recognizing her as his heaven sent counter-part.

Twice did he coronate her with a scepter and crown,

And for her he built a castle of some prestige and renown.

One day he had spied her within a brilliant shaft of light,

Alas, my very own fairy queen appears in my sight!

Yet, the light which encompassed her came from within,

And that was how her long and peaceful reign did begin.

Her eyes were as blue as the sky at midday

And beauty she held like a charming bouquet,

Yet, beauty was not the only reason why he did stay,

Twas more the merriment of her soul, her love of play.

His cup was not yet full of all he would become

But he silently vowed to manifest a great kingdom,

For he was still on the cusp of manhood, just starting life

And inspired to become a fine match for such a stately wife.

An extremely humble queen, she treated no one base,

Nay, this queen spread only compassion and grace,

Nor would she ever disdain those whose service was true,

She lifted all up that they might see themselves born anew!

So together did they create their empire,

Built on love and truth and chivalrous fire,

With wealth that grew from pure hearts entwined

And guidance they both from God divined.

The fare Ladye would write poems and prose,

And their symbol became the pine and the rose;

While he would counsel leaders of industry and state,

Their wisdom channeled from beyond, supplied insight great.

With love, kindness and patience, did his queen redeem,

And just like the king, all grew to love and esteem

her; those Lords and Ladies, both high-born and low,

Together with him crowned her Katrina Regina, Queen of Yaddo!

With her first coronation a new round table was formed,

Knights and Ladye’s with loving oaths to her had sworn;

He gave her an ivory scepter and by it she transformed,

And then to all people his queen was reborn!

Their castle became the center of a peaceful new Avalon,

From out of the ashes of the past; a new dawn!

Their home they ruled not with power but truth and love,

It became a place where all received inspiration from above.

Yet, their lives were not untouched with grief,

For life is short, and death steals in like a thief;

And such was the time of her second coronation,

When his queen was in an hour of dark desperation.

Death was once again seeking their threshold to cross,

And that old ivory scepter to a great fire long ago had been lost,

When the king by chance, made a divine discovery,

For by a strange synchronicity, it now made its recovery!

That scepter still capped by it’s winged Eros, now was returned,

Though the flames had ebonized the ivory when it had burned;

Though it was no longer white but soot tarnished black,

Fire had only strengthened and purified, not cracked!

The king coronated her then, the two alone in her room,

He raised the scepter, hoping to pull her out of her gloom,

Then laid it beside her, she too weak to lift it from the bed,

A poem he had written and now to her, he read…

“Though the fire may burn and the wind blow,

We all shall reap what we do sow!

And she who sows the seeds of Love

And makes the home like the heaven above,

Her scepter shall stay with her for ay,

While the years do roll and the days pass by:

For the fire may rage and blacken and burn,

But to her the scepter must ever return.”

[Verse in quotations written by Spencer Trask]

Like immortal Eros with which this scepter is crowned,

As queen of my heart, to me you are forever bound,

You can never be destroyed, even through fire,

And like a phoenix you will only ever rise higher!

There followed the queens second, immortal coronation,

Distance nor death could ever quench their mutual adoration,

Then they both pledged their true oaths with certainty 

That their two regal hearts will be forever joined in eternity!

Dedicated to my Beloved, King of my heart, forever….and to the memory of Katrina and Spencer Trask, founders of Yaddo and their enduring love story.

© by Marla Kelly

All rights reserved

Photo of “Yaddo” by Marla Kelly