In the land where faeries dwell
There is a story that they tell
Of the Faerie Queen Chantel
And the human she loved too well
She met him on a summer night
When Luna cast her seductive light
And perfumed breezes blew just right
Leading the queen to her plight
Long had warnings been told
By those who had been born old
All humans had hearts that were cold
With greed only for Faerie gold
But Chantel paid scant heed
Distrusting tales of human greed
Upon his love words did she feed
To her they were as sweet as Meade
Lulled by her own love true and deep
His promises she thought he'd keep
She gave no thought that all she’d reap
Form her love was the tears she'd weep
Under the moonlit starry skies
In his faithful lover guise
He wooed her with his gentle sighs
As he snared her with his lies
The nights of summer turned to fall
And the Queen ignored the yearly call
To return to the Faerie Hall
To attend her wedding Ball.
Though it was her duty’s demand
To take another’s marriage hand
She could not leave the human’s land
And the love she thought so grand.
But winter found her lost and cold
For it was as the warnings had foretold
By those who were born old
The human wanted only her gold
Once he had it he said he must go
But would return his love to show
In time, her fears began to grow
And fill her faerie heart with woe
By Candlemas, the truth was bare
She had given up all for the human fair
The human who had had but one care
The gold of the Faeries’ rare.
Beginning in the month of June
Upon the rock where they did spoon
Still she weeps under the moon
For the man who brought her to ruin.
/the fairy queen's tear~bobbi ann duffy/