Promptly 4 and 5

Doors

Doors

Able was I ere I saw Elba,
across the sea from Corsica,
my captors forcing a
humiliation on me.

An emperor I was,
held Europe to the last,
but downfall clouds the past,
no longer am I free.

And I who owned a palace
am taken now with malice
and judgement oh so callous
unto the house you see.

So low am I become
that still I count my crumbs,
my house may be a slum
but two doors to my glee.


Line count: 16
Rhymed aaab cccb dddb eeeb
For Promptly Poetry Challenge, Week 35 2024
Prompt: As per illustration.
Note: I guessed at the location of the house, fairly sure that it would turn out to be Mediterranean. Italy suggested itself, then Portugal, and finally the island of Elba. Which was the first exile chosen for Napoleon after his initial defeat. The first line is a famous palindrome, supposedly reflecting Napoleon’s thoughts while on the island.