The BellmanA Poem by David Lewis PagetHe
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 © 2012 David Lewis PagetFeatured Review
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Added on March 31, 2012Last Updated on June 26, 2012 Tags: Mayor, councillors, John, Drake Author
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