The Poet ~ Geoffrey Chaucer was born in the 1340s and passed on 25 October 1400. He was an English poet and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer has been called the “Father of English poetry”. He was the first writer to be buried in what has since come to be called Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. He wrote his poems using middle English which was unusual and is sometimes difficult for the modern reader! (We have used the modern translation here). There is also a lunar impact crater on the far side of the moon that is named after Chaucer.
Our Reader ~ Dylan Anderson, known online as Aspie Dyl, is a gifted creative from Milton whose raw, emotionally resonant poetry and striking photography have earned him a growing following on social media. His work often explores themes of neurodiversity, identity, and resilience, offering a powerful lens into lived experience with autism. Through evocative images and hard-hitting verse, Dylan invites audiences to see the world differently, highlighting beauty in overlooked moments and truth in vulnerability.
Rondel of Merciless Beauty
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.
Only your word will heal the injury
To my hurt heart, while yet the wound is clean -
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene.
Upon my word, I tell you faithfully
Through life and after death you are my queen;
For with my death the whole truth shall be seen.
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.