Deborah Stokol - The Wife of Bath: Alysoun's Tale

They say Experience
Has no value
And it's no authority

But of husbands
I've had five
So you should
Listen to me

Folks may spin yarns
I mend and darn
A seamstress I will stitch
Together a story
You'll well remember

I'll sing for my supper
But if I tell a good lie
You'll buy my supper tonight

And if I do tell things true
Well, my supper
Will be on you

They tell girls,
Oh, act so pretty
And don't make yourself filthy

Don't enjoy it
Don't have fun
He's not the one

Don't sully yourself
Before your God
But do your duty
By your husband, Todd

And I say
Don't pay them heed

If marriage was good
For King Solomon
And virgins can't
Make more virgins, true

I say have fun
You are the one
For you

I will kneel for my God
On the stone shod and unshod
And I will visit the cathedral
Pay respects

A pilgrim to Jerusalem
To Canterbury, too,
But mind
Don't tell me
What to do

So I had five husbands
Three good and two bad
Some were old with gold
And some were lads

But the thing I know
And I know it well
Is ruling ladies
Is their own, fresh Hell

I hail from Bath
Don't need to
Cleanse myself
Of all that I have lived

Let me speak
Mr. Pardoner
And please don't interrupt
There is much that
I have still to say

Maids can be
The fresh, white bread
But I'll be barley
And I'll wear red

And moths won't
Have a chance
To eat my
Best, crimson dress

For I'll wear it often
Around the town
My friends
And lovers
Well, they like that gown

But what matters
Is that I like it
All myself

My last husband
Oh I liked him well
Married not for money
But his lovin', swell

His name was Jankyn
And I outranked him
I don't think that's a sin

But he had a book of
Evil wives
When I opened it
Oh, I saw those lies

And I thought
My laddie
Well, that just won't do

So I tore three pages
From those false sages
And he met that act
With his lack of tact

But I matched him
And I met him
Neck and neck

And I said
Jankyn, I'm the mistress here
And you can't stay
'Til you give me sway

We'll be happy
If I have my say
Am queen of our domain

And finally he saw
Some sense
And we were jolly
From then on hence

And I bid you
Know
That this is all a fact

So let me tell you
My great tale
Sit tight, be merry
Drink your ale

Let Alysoun
Regale you with her song

Centuries ago
In England
When King Arthur ruled his court

The fairies roamed the woods
Not the lechers in their hoods

And magic was the order of the day

And in that kingdom
There was a Knight
Who swore his oath to do Right

But one day
In the fields
Disgraced a lady

And he took her by force

So he got
Sentenced

To
Death

The Queen
Guinevere
Had mercy in her Soul

Said he is foul
But should learn his lesson
Through a different toll

And being wise
Good King Arthur
He listened to his wife

And he spared
That horrid knight

His
Life

At least then

So she said,
Sir, you've had great Clemency
You've a year and day
To find, pithily

What it is
A woman
Wants

He thought it would
Be simple, sure
But not knowing
Where the truth could dwell

He rode around
The realm
This question clear in mind.

Some girls said
I want to Learn

And some girls
Said I want to burn
With Passion
For myself
And my lovers

Some girls said
I want the World

And some girls said
I want to go to Hell
In a hand basket
And I can weave it too

But one day
He saw fairies dance
He saw them there
Was it by chance

When he neared their group
They up and disappeared

He saw the fey there in the wood
Their greenest cloaks and golden snoods
He said, oh, please, stay just one moment more

But all that there was left of them
Was an old grey hag
Stood in her rags
And our knight
Cared not for that

Said, hello, young sir
I'll tell you true
What it is the thing you seek
To prove

So long as you do grant
Me, what I ask
In time

And he agreed
So she told him
What it is the thing I will relay

And I swear I think
I like her
More and more

She said

Give them a choice

Let them lift their voice

Let them have free reign
Of life's horse

Let them steer
The course
Of their own Destinies
For them to see

Let them be
Who they must
Needs be

Let them grow
And wander freely
Around this sylvan
Ancient Land

He said,
That's all that they want
You're sure

And she said
Oh Lord
Must I endure
The presence of this
Oaf without a mind

So he thanked her
And he went with her
To wend his way
Back to Arthur

And he hoped
That she had
Given sound advice

They rode
Over the castle's moat
Through gates
Of Camelot

The Knight stood there
For Guinevere
Told her what she
Hoped to hear

And she sat back
And said
Now That's
The word

He said
Well, now, I've answered true
So the crone said
Good, now, I'll have you

And he cried
No, please, no
Anything but that

They were married then
And she asked him
Dear knight, why do you
Seem so grim

And he said
You're poor
Have grime
And you are past your prime

I don't know why she wanted him
He was cruel
And he was a great fool
But I guess that you cannot
Account for taste!

Patiently, she verily
Said wealth
Is not Morality

Youth brings risk
And beauty
Lies within

But, all right
My Knight
I'll offer you
To be young and fair
But you may have to fear
That I will stray away from you

Or you can have me
Old and grey
But Loyal every single day

Not that those
Should be
The only selections left

But he had somewhat
Understood
That women should have
Their own rule

So replied, Dear Wife
I leave it all to you
To choose

And with that
He saw
Her change

Into a
Lovely
Young maiden

And she sighed
And said, because you
Let me have my way

I will remain this way
With you
Forever and a day
With you

At least until
I find
My next husband

So that's my tale
Hope you've listened well
I was born under Venus and Mars as well

So I'm lusty
But I'm also wise
And I know all about the life of wives

So remember, one
And two and three
That women want
Their sovereignty

And that's all
That I have to say
For now

So experience has value
And my life
Is testament

To the worth of worlds
Not just of words
I've shared my piece

Goodnight
And
Farewell

Written by:
Deborah Stokol

Publisher:
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