The Bellman

He rang it in the marketplace,

He rang it in the street,

Old Silas was the Bellman

In the village of Purfleet,

He’d rung the bell for sixty years,

He’d rung the bell for war,

He’d rung it for the harvest

But would ring the bell no more!

 

The Mayor and all his councillors

Had met within the Hall,

Discussed the ponderous questions

That would bear upon them all,

Their gowns were trimmed with ermine

And the mayor, he wore his chain,

The solemn Majesty of State

Was heard in their refrain!

 

‘We must dismiss the Bellman,’

Said the hoary Abel Creep,

‘He rings it at the strangest times,

I just can’t get to sleep!’

‘Agreed,’ said Horace Fumblewit,

It’s more than time enough,

I thought that he’d be dead by this…’

‘Hear hear!’ said Toby Gruff.

 

They called him to the chamber

And delivered him the score,

Old Silas staggered back in shock,

They’d rocked him to the core!

He raised the bell above his head

And gave a mighty ‘Clang!’

Then jumped up on their table

Where they sat, their ears rang!

 

‘I’ve been the Bellman sixty years,

My father taught me then,

His father went before him, rang

The bell for Inkerman;

But way, way back before that time

My forebears had a stake,

They warned of the Armada,

Rang the bell for Francis Drake!’

 

He stomped along their table

In his coarse old hob-nailed boots,

He silenced their authority

To rule in mean disputes,

For every time a councillor

Would seek to raise his voice,

The bell would drown his utterance,

It gave them little choice!

 

‘There’s been a Bellman in this burgh

Right back, before King John,

You think you petty underlings

Can rule once I am gone?

Your ancestors lie buried in

The gravel by the Church,

While mine live on in history…

I’ll knock you off your perch!

 

He raised the bell and made it peal,

It rocked the ancient hall,

The walls shook with vibrations

‘Til the roof began to fall,

The beams came crashing down in a

Scenario from Hell,

‘Your time is not forever,’ cried

The man who rang the bell!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Mark]

The message seems to me to be that, whenever the marble-mouthed mutterers begin to sling their elf-supposed weight around, we need to have one with his feet firmly grounded in history, to sound that unmistakably clear knell of truth, which will shatter the illusions ego-born.

[Morrigan Nicole]

That. Was. Brilliant! loved it all the way! Gah!!! This will be a favorite, loved the pace, the rhymes, the format, everything. this reminded me of ireland a few hundred years ago.

100/100

[A.r. Bazian]

Good God... *applause*... wow... mate, you just got me drowned in tears in public... in my office!

wow... this is amazingly well written!
its so sad it broke my heart!
its so mighty, i felt him soar...
long has he beard their heritage,
and long that was in store!
may he not have noticed it,
he hasnt long till then,
but when the time came for it,
he took the world aspin!

my friend... bravo!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

That bell will all ring for us one day; and no matter the chatter nor the loud clatter, we cannot fend off the end. I've missed your writings terribly; and as always, am made the better for having read your words.

Linda Marie

[Extant]

These thunderously upbeat verses certainly have made me smile, but the message isn't left unheard, a job well done is well done and if that's what you want you'll live with it.
I can't help but compare this to the times we face, the working man wants, I'm sure, to get up on that table and tell those councillors exactly how he feels.

[eatmills]

Love it! The imagery of it all, danced in my head.
I was reading it and thought about how modern ways have replaced the old and then when I arrived at the third stanza I realized that no, this was not about that at all.
Such a well written piece, love it.

[xRetroCortx]

Amazing write. It's not often I come across a poem that I just have to read until the end, and this is one of those. Brought back great memories of the wonderful poems and such I'd read in high school. thank you :)

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A very fast paced and enduring piece, great read, well done.

[Sanjeeta Sharma Pokhar..]

Flawless write :)

[Elaenor Aisling]

Very nice story of the underdog showing up the higherarchy. Lovely rhyme scheme, I love the ballad style of your work. Great poem.

[Dayran]

A bell that meant merriment or fear. A bell that helped us feel and know of wants. A bell when no more, will find us lost. Nice write!