12 February, 1554

In the silence of winter
Lady Jane Grey, brittle
as a stalk of fern.

Rime of frost tightened
its hold on brickwork;
icicles, splintered.

Lady Jane dressed in black
like ravens, clawed
in the Tower above.

The executioner tied
the blindfold round her eyes:
she groped for the block.

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Edwin Stockdale was born in Chester. He has a BA Hons in Creative Writing and Music from Lancaster University and a PGCE from Liverpool Hope University. In September 2014 his debut pamphlet collection, Aventurine, was published by Red Squirrel Press. Currently he lives in Leeds and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.