Sincerely,
Maria Bordelon
THE CUNTESS OF MIDDLESEX REMEMBERS LADY GODIVA
Made Known by Maria Bordelon
Of a poem last we met,
This time I’ll tell a tale of lust and love from long ago,
A time when my husband was in manly and virile,
A time when Nature was queen and I her maiden servant,
Religion was legends and Gods,
Christianity made acceptable by coopting the Celtic gods and holly days,
Middlesex with rolling green hills was home,
There I met and lusted for a handsome youth,
His sky blue eyes saw wonder everywhere,
Crown of red poppy and carrot orange though longish was clean,
Muscle, strength and other attributes gods envy,
Ah yes, he was to be mine,
But my details and trysts for another day,
Today I tell of a sister named Godgifu, a gift from God,
In books and history you know as Godiva, the one who rode in 1035,
No doubt she was of Anglo-Saxon birth with golden mane, sky blue eyes and fair skin,
Her charms of myth, legend and art do tell
And versed in all the lore of Celtics past, new gods and independence few women knew,
Of early spring and lambing that husband Leofric knew so well,
Though of noble birth, questions remain:
Was Thorald of Birmingham, sheriff of Lincolnshire father or brother?
No matter, she knew of taxes, politics and people,
Such ability in female form was not expected but oddly appreciated,
Women of her time were married for wealth and alliances because of womb and breast,
No record of her dowry remains but was substantial for a daughter of nobility,
In a grand ceremony of the time she married Leofric, earl of Mercia,
Such is proudly proclaimed to this day in Coventry, Warwickshire,
We know this and more because 16 decades after monk and jester, Roger of Wendover, told her of ride in 1035.
Leofric and Godgifu made home and castle,
Her womb and breast did succeed with Aelgar, her only son,
Of other children we have no record though their love prospered,
Meanwhile the tiny village of Coventry spread around a Benedictine monastery,
The same this noble couple so generously built with taxes plundered,
Every tax is a complaint and Godgifu heard peasant’s pain,
She begged Leofric to yield his monied greed,
Discussion and challenge occurred,
Ride through town naked on horse I will yield,
Of that she did in 1035.
To this day debate remains was Godgifu naked,
Or clad in white shift, underwear of the day?
All legends agree she was void of her nobility and jewelry,
No saddle ever rode, yet questions remain,
Was she sitting to the side or normal facing front?
If to the side were her legs modest or splayed?
The former hiding her sex, the later displaying such a charm,
Her long hair of sunshine is no doubt, but style are of myth and art,
Those of modest view have hair draped to hide breast though unfettered,
Realist whether seeking beauty or prurient brazenly show breasts and nipples.
Yes, there is more to the lady’s ride in 1035.
Leofric allowed her to ride on a noble steed,
Yet did warn all to nary peek upon severe penalty,
Someone did indeed peek otherwise no tale told,
A man named Tom said what he saw,
In one account Tom was her groomsman and spared any ill fates,
Another story says the peasant Tom saw Godgifu’s brazen ride and told all,
Henceforth, he is the Peeping Tom but his horrid punishment is not this tale,
The peasants did rejoice when Godgifu, the gift of god, brought relief,
Loving husband, Leofric, kept his word,
Upon return they celebrated with lust and love.
Thus ends Godiva’s glorious ride of 1035.