Hank loved Annie.
Some would say that he loved her to the point of distraction. Smart and pretty, with dark eyes and dark hair, Annie was quite a catch in her day, so who could blame the man. But much to Hank’s chagrin, Annie didn’t feel quite the same. Hank never took rejection well.
“This won’t work,” said Annie.
“But,” sputtered Hank, “I’ll treat you like a queen!”
“You’ve already got a queen, Hank,” she could’ve replied.
And well he did. Hank was married to Cathy, Annie’s boss. If he was going to get anywhere with Annie, something would have to be done about this whole marriage business. Divorce wasn’t just a phone call away in those days. Before he was done, Hank would move heaven and earth to clear a path for his pursuit of dark-haired Annie …
Some say Hank wrote her poetry.
Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Sound familiar? Maybe you need the chorus.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves.
Some two hundred years later, William Dix would use the melody of Henry VIII‘s attributed love poem for the doomed Anne Boleyn (lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon) as a musical foundation for “What Child Is This?” — one of the most tender carols in the Christmas canon.
Today’s Track Present: Loreena McKennitt’s interpretation of “Greensleeves” is on a 1992 album entitled The Visit
Gift Idea: Mercy Corps offers Mercy Kits. “A Mercy Kit is a unique way of sharing your dedication to help make the world stronger and better for those most in need.” For about the same cost as a couple of decent DVDs, you can fund a beehive in Central America. For the cost of an Xbox 360, you can build a playground in Sri Lanka.
