By Brittaney Mann
For a while I did not think I would want a big house because I did not think I would be able to fill the rooms, but after visiting Hampton Court Palace, I realized I don’t even have to fill the rooms, and a mural on the ceilings and wall is plenty. I don’t foresee myself being able to own a house near as huge as this palace (though that would be amazing), but where ever I end up, I am definitely using some decoration ideas I am taking with me from this palace. I thought the stories on the audio tour were very interesting, especially the one told in the haunted hallway and the story about William III’s life and death. Before getting into those, I want to share the video of the bumblebee I met today and an accompanying (unfinished) poem.
If you listen with the volume on, you can hear the bee buzz as it makes its way to a new flower.
A groan or happy hum from the bee wings, like a question about the fullness of a glass
some fat insect with cheddar cheese-
puff-looking-dusted-back-of-knees
big built black body with yellow tuft
some babe feeding an adult, some disrespect
some thanks with pausing pleasure
some remember what bounties bodies bring
some things are creatures such as these
some things are those are we
some appreciative essence flows out
some we take time to care
some receive and all receive some
we are for the other and others
even when standing street side
sundown and streetlights
scent of sautéed onions sneaking
a ride on the wind, a whiff
a wonder if I turned around
ate though I ate enough
carried extra like the bee
I see the clock and sky
roll and bounce to flowers
simple duty given into hours
I’m the bee in the sense
that one body is not enough for me
also the captivity of scents in a sense
colors and silk and spike defense
I’m not one but both and all
like water but dense yet hot
this poem exists
in a stagnant body of change
today I saw a play that invited
thoughts I pushed away reignited life
to me it told there’s time no old nor young
twenty-one here so many years before
I lived and live so many years to come
my father I miss he waits he lives life
and with the sun, I do mine
In the haunted hallway, I learned about one of King Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine Howard, who died from execution after being accused of adultery. This story stood out to me, first, because of the discussion of a haunted hallways, and second, because of how young Catherine was. If I remember correctly, the recording referred to her as a teenager, and I thought that her situation in every aspect was so awful. I like how I could almost pay respect or acknowledge the lost lives of the many wives when walking through the palace. There were a lot of paper posted with information about them.
The other story that interested me in the palace was about William III. I liked hearing about how he was a distant ruler and people were not used to that. I was a little shocked that people would flock to watch the royals eat or even dress, but it does make sense at the same time. I thought about how exhausting it must have been to have people always wanting to be in your personal space, so I did not blame William III at all for feeling how he did and felt kind of bad for him, but at the same time I knew he was most definitely thriving more than so many people in the world so it’s kind of like oh well; I did feel sad again when I heard that he died after falling off his horse.
Overall, my trip to the palace today placed likely unreachable aspirations in my mind, but now I want to work hard to create my own tiny palace with cool murals and fancy canopies over my bed; I think I would experience a sleep like no other.
Theatre in London U of A 