A tale of the Demise of Camelot

related by the Traveling Troubadour

{Warning}

A prophet is never heeded

in his own belove-ed land

 he is laughed at, chided, banished

 and evil wins again.

 

Valley of the Shadow (Merlyn narrator)

                    I

Arthur thou art all too trusting.

Thou givest past experience the lie

Thou dost fail to heed a warning

 though it stares thee in the eye.

                      

Evil doth not sleep my king,

 it rests, it plots, it schemes

 waiting while those blind to it

 dream their foolish dreams.

 

No good hast come to Camelot

from  Queen Morgana's land

'Tis prophesied that thou shalt fall

 in a brave but futile stand.

 

All the pieces are in place

 the die is all but cast.

 When the dust hast settled lord

 thou shalt have breathe thy last.

 

Camelot wilt be remembered

 bright and pure in arcaine lore.

 Till the Witch Queen* came and smote her

 and She fell and was no more.

                     II

 

The light of Camelot is gone

The sun hast set on Arthur's kingdom

My powers scatter like leaves before a wind

Where stood hope now stands desolation.

 

Dusk hast come, shadows grow long

The wind, the trees whisper melancholy song.

In the distance --- thunder!

The clouds afire, the sky burnt umber!

 

Adieu Arthur, fair Guibnevere adieu

broke is the spell thou hast wove so well.

A deafening roar, a fork of flame!

Night hast arrived ere the darkness came.

 

Epilouge

 Vivian hast harkened to thy cry

 Excaliber is in her keeping

 So why hast thou sent for me

 a mediocre poet?

 

I am old and lacking in wisdom

I have not the knowledge

to make him live again

no balm to assuage the pain.

 

I am but a shadow

a shade from time long past

The dying light from a star

that fell long ago.

 

*Witch Queen- Arthur's half-sister, Morgana or Morgan Le Fey. Mother to his son Modred

 

 

 

                       

 

 

Reviews

[SpokenWord]

So it was a poet who preserved the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. side thought, were all the tables back then square or something and Arthur had the first round table? anyway... this is really good tale I like that Merlyn told the story and it rhymed just as he did when he told of future events. Excellent write.

[Vanessa Rico]

I love mythology so this definitely caught my eye! I enjoyed every second of reading it. This poem was well written and the descriptive imagery deserved a 100!

[Valentine]

Fantastic poem Robert..I really got into this one...Keep them coming..the pen is mightier than the sword..lol and God bless..Kathie