Boudica’s Soliloquy – A Poem

Boudica’s Soliloquy

by Dawn Pisturino

Foul deeds of war have broken me.

Come, smell the blood! Hear the moans of the dying!

The corpses of my daughters lay silently at my feet,

Shamed and murdered by our Roman tormentors.

Colchester and London — what glorious victories! —

The blood flowed freely from Roman wounds.

They howled in rage as they died. How we cheered!

But Rome’s crawling legions caught us in their snare,

And now, we are vanquished.

Britannia is no more. Weep for a chastised people!

No longer Queen, I am marked for death.

No longer Mother, I will not be consoled.

No longer Wife, I burn with revenge.

I lift the flask of poison to my lips, tasting the bitterness in my mouth.

I will lie here with my daughters, my shield across my breast

And my spear by my side, and welcome Death with honor.

~ Dawn Pisturino ~

Published in Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women anthology, June 2022. #1 Amazon bestseller in New Releases of Poetry Anthologies. Available now! Get your copy today.

July 29, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

“Wounds I Healed” Anthology Acceptance

I’m pleased and proud to announce that my poem, Boudica’s Soliloquy, has been accepted for publication in the upcoming Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women anthology. I want to thank Gabriela Marie Milton (editor), Ingrid Wilson of Experiments in Fiction (publisher), and Nick Reeves for their hard work and dedication in bringing this project to fruition.

As you may have guessed, the poem is about Boudica, the fierce Celtic Queen of the Iceni tribe who reigned in the East Anglia region of Britain. In 60 C.E., she led a revolt against the Romans. Bravely driving a chariot against Roman forces, she fought for the liberation of her tribe and vengeance for the rape of her two daughters by Roman soldiers. Although defeated, she went down in history as a tragic figure and a British folk hero.

For some reason, when I heard about the anthology, Queen Boudica immediately popped into my head. She was a woman who lost everything but died with dignity and honor.

Please visit these sites:

Gabriela Marie Milton (Short Prose)

MasticadoresUSA//Gabriela Marie Milton, editor

Ingrid Wilson, Experiments in Fiction

Nick Reeves

Thank you!

Dawn Pisturino

May 9, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.