The Final Picture

An unusual photograph

A portrait of a bride
Laid in sleep’s repose
Held within ashen hands
A posy, sage and rose

Victoria on the throne
On this wedding day
The maiden in her bliss
Let moonbeams drift away

Too pale and faint
To walk that aisle
Her groom, in hope
He’d wait a while

In vain, he tarried
For she was lost
No exchange of rings
His heartbreak, the cost

One early morn
Came a cloak of mist
The darkness cloyed
He gave a final kiss

The picture taken
In her bridal gown
Dressed perfectly
Before they laid her down


Note: During Queen Victoria's reign, it became common for people to pose their loved ones after their death and then take photos of them. They would put these into an album called 'The Book of the Dead'. These can still be seen today