Imperial Triptych: The Court Of The Sun

poem 5 from The Ancient Elm

I am the Oak Emperor,
my reign a score of years.
Majestical in dress armor,
my diamond throne
illumes my court:
the Court of the Sun.

‘Neath my tapestries
of lions, eagles, roses:
my knights, lords, acrobats
amuse and revel
in jousts, feasts, pageantry;
my prophets
cast fair fortunes;
my poets and mythmakers
embroider my myth –
wand to sword to scepter –
into an epic saga
for my bards
to sing across the realms
I rule
from my mighty Castle.

The power the speaker in the poem gathers to himself becomes something that sends him into orbit, as far as success goes. The poem is littered with images based on 'The Great Chain of Being' which assigned a highest example of all sorts of categories of objects: oak, diamond, lions, eagles, and the Sun. The Oak Emperor is a symbol for this kind of power and authority. He rules, enjoys his power, and attracts all sorts of people to him, while poets and mythmakers write the tale of his struggle and success - embroidering it to fit their own purposes and interests - and spread it around his kingdom. This poem would be the left side of the artistic triptych and it represents a man at the apotheosis and zenith of his potential. It's a heady place to be.