Golden Ignominy

She descends the steps of the prison
Arrayed in beauty, that glittering symbol upon her
And though she knows of the judgment and scorn
That came when they knew of her baby born
Her pride and confidence shine forth.

There she stands on the scaffold
Some silently staring
Some murmuring, glaring
She has prepared herself for this
And takes it all in.

Then he sees her
And she him
She, grateful for the crowd between them
Soon realizes she cannot avoid their meeting again.
Alone.

While her fear lingers
This mystery man curls his fingers
His temper he has practiced to own.
Yet learning the story of this maiden so fair
His revengeful voice sounds
He will be known!

As she stepped back into life
He shadowed behind searching for a clue
No one else knowing she was his wife
She fears for the other...
The father of her child
What’s a girl to do?

He finds the culprit
A penitent town minister
Now that he knows it, he’ll use it against her.

Or maybe
The revenge doesn’t regard her at all
Maybe it’s only the minister he feels must fall.
So pinching and prying he tortures that poor heart
It already hurt, the minister’s hand over it from the start.

During this ministers mutilation
Is the growth of the child, a strange creation
Outwardly perfect, beautiful, hence - Pearl
Though her actions portray her as some sort of elf-girl.

Toddler chanting
Revenge Aflame
She later visits
Who’s to blame?
Minister’s heart seething
Husband deformed
Her feelings still linger
Do his?
He’s torn.

Torn between her
His heart
His position
Should he run away?
Just avoid the collision?

This torn heart he has is attached to his people
The crowd who intently listens under the steeple
He knows if he doesn’t first detach himself from them, his heart will only tear more.

Final day.
End his preaching.
Yet with a flare
He’s still teaching!

Secret out.
Emotions run about.
His heart can’t take in any longer
Relieving that anguish didn’t make him much stronger.

Away from this world he ascends
Fully repented
He’s made amends.

Now what of she with that glitter letter?
For years she disappeared, no one met her
She returns later, once the story has simmered
But without the child which shimmered
And thus ends the tale of the Scarlet Letter
Though in that town no one would forget her.

I wrote this for an English project. Obvs, for the classic novel "The Scarlet Letter"