Boudica Quotes

“And indeed, it was not her steady hand that made Boudica the greatest sniper who had ever sighted down a target. Nor her eyes, eyes that had picked out the Captain long moments before anyone else could have even identified him as a mouse. It was that she understood how to wait, to empty herself of everything in anticipation of that one perfect moment - and then to fill that moment with death.”
― Daniel Polansky, The Builders

“We have country, wives, and parents to fight for; the Romans have nothing but greed and self-indulgence.”
― Tacitus, The Agricola and The Germania

“All too often, even the most glamorous rebels are just as unappealing, under the surface, as the imperialist tyrants themselves.”
― Mary Beard, Confronting the Classics: Traditions, Adventures and Innovations

“I hear the soldier’s footsteps right outside
From Roman legions that are hunting me—
A mother, warrior, Boudica, queen.
That swarm of angry hornets aims to sting
My skin with fire, piercing me with pain.
I will never accept an end like that.
Now happily spared the brutality
Since you opened up the door to hide me,
Anam Cara, you prove to be a friend,
To help in my hour of direst need
Just as we had previously agreed.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, The Bones of the Poor

“Some sudden light illuminates my mind.
Serene as tufted clouds in summer skies
Slowly floating through the expanse of air.
Calm like the lark who watches from her perch.
Weightless like a small dandelion seed.
Freedom. I can float away with the breeze.
I feel attuned to the sun and the sky,
To the yellow oxlip, rosettes of leaves,
Clusters of spring flowers under the trees.
I feel a presence and sense life rising,
Spirit in all things, living soul, divine
Shimmer of being within, so sublime.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, The Bones of the Poor

“Very soon, I will be travelling there
With the great heron out to the North Sea
To dance with the deep, where I will just be;
Roaming the headwaters and tidal flats
Liminal as light upon the surface,
In waves that crash on rounded marshy coasts.
Think of me as the sun rises each dawn
When you feel that surge of an inner strength
With each ephemeral moment of time.
I know I will be there eternally,
Immersed, one with the great estuary.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, The Bones of the Poor

“Listen close—my previous life was good.
My mind has many pleasant memories:
Camping on the Wensome’s chalk river shores,
Running in green fields, picking spring flowers,
Exploring the sand dunes and pine forests,
A picnic on the mud flats, carefree days
At home with my family in the village,
Watching the terns, sedge warblers and swallows,
Lessons in cooking and animal care,
Untamed rivers and lakes, games with my friends,
Sandy beaches, marshes, fens, and reed beds,
The barn owl who liked to sing every night,
Stirring conversations with my husband,
Mundane chores alongside both my daughters,
Magical countryside, large gray stone blocks,
Tall flint walls in a nearby Roman town,
Spongy saltmarsh, woodlands, and butterflies.
It was all a gift, all blessed—and now
I feel an unexpected clarity.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, The Bones of the Poor