Tatiana at age sixteen,
Livadia, Crimea, 1913

"Tatiana"

What must it have been like
To be the daughter of the tsar?
To see your father as your own, not ruler.
What must it have been like
To see your mother cry?
To know that however hard you tried, you couldn't reach.
What must it have been like
To hold your suff'ring brother's hand,
To know that he might die right then.
What must it have been like
To hear your sisters' screams?
To know that very soon it would be your turn, too.
What must it have been like
To feel the bayonets?
To know that in the pain, you were dying.

                          ~ Elisabeth Evans

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