What �chivalry�?

 

Gallop gallop gallop
Clank clank clank
Chomp chomp chomp
Burlap burlap burlap
Stomp stomp stomp
Chomp chomp chomp

Horrible sounds of medieval times

What “chivalry”?
Always fighting one another
In endless battles
Far away from home
And giving the incredible reason
Of fighting for a fragile lady!

Saved by a knight?!
I don’t believe!
Probably raped by one
In the middle of a fight!
Or all the “ladies” would be ladies
Protected by some king?
What about being a servant?
What about the poor
the young children serving them
and dying for no reason?
And the horrible torture
of the ones they decided
where different?

Gallop gallop gallop
Clank clank clank
Chomp chomp chomp
Burlap burlap burlap
Stomp stomp stomp
Chomp chomp chomp

Horrible sounds of medieval times

What “chivalry”?
The one some lady marry
And living her alone
went to a fight
for years with out end?
Coming back
With smelly feet
Rotting inside some metal boots
Horrible perfumes
To cover lack of bath
No running water

Terrible smells of medieval times!

Knights…
Fighting for a lady?
Fighting for king?
Fighting for crosses and moons!
Just fighting for fighting
because with out a fight
they wouldn’t be anyone
and nothing else
could make them feel alive
But the spade drown in blood
and the need to kill
and kill again!

Gallop gallop gallop
Clank clank clank
Chomp chomp chomp
Burlap burlap burlap
Stomp stomp stomp
Chomp chomp chomp

Horrible sounds of medieval times

What “chivalry”?
Love, probably only existed
In romances
written in another time
By those that would like
Old time’s privilege to come back
So they could kill with impunity
Just by telling
it was for a fragile lady
Lost some where in the forest!

And the “chivalry” I can imagine
Inventing they were saving me
From the protecting “monster”
would be killing my father
So he could get hold of me
And make of me his servant
Wanting to be “my Lord”!

Smelly feet
Rotting inside some metal boots
Horrible perfumes
To cover lack of bath
No running water

Terrible smells
Of medieval times

....

How could I enjoy medieval time?
If I lived in those times
For sure I would become a witch
not needing to be saved!
I would live near a river or lake
would eat berries
and I would try to save
the poor girls and boys
turning knights into frogs!

Gallop gallop gallop
Clank clank clank
Chomp chomp chomp
Burlap burlap burlap
Stomp stomp stomp
Chomp chomp chomp

Aiiiiiiiiiii!
Croak croak croak!

And there would go
one more knight
jumping in a pool
eating mosquito
being much more helpful
and useful
to the ambience and to this world

 

 

then giving a rose

 

 

to some king’s protected lady!

 

Reviews

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Congrats on your Winning Poem. Well done.

[Scott Free]

Good perspective on a time that is usually so romantically referred to. I loved the part about you wanting to be a witch. Made me laugh...although, if you *were* an actual witch back then the chivalrous knights would probably come to burn you at the stake.
Anyway, I had one thing that I thought might be changed. The
"Gallop gallop gallop
Clank clank clank
Chomp chomp chomp
Burlap burlap burlap
Stomp stomp stomp
Chomp chomp chomp" is not quite working, I think. I know you want that kind of repeating theme, but I would at least vary it a little each time. The reader just skims right over it with a 'yeah, yeah, this is *that* again'.
Of course very, very few knights came to the ideal of a true 'knight in shining armor'. And the one most celebrated knight who did, was oxymoronical in that he was a black knight, actually (The Black Prince, Edward of England). But of course, those were times when you grabbed what you could, because you didn't know if someone was going to grab it first.
Thanks for entering this in my contest!

[Salvatore Buttaci]

clever perspective on what one normally regards as positive.

Sal

[Roshayann D' Lyn]

Upon reading this piece my first thought was not the nicest, probably because I love the medieval era, however, you have done a wonderful job, with the structure, the use of language, and you state facts that are more often than not overlooked. Great job.

[RHEA CROSLEY]

Good point. A lot of what is done in the world by pride is just stupid. Thanks for the artistically insightful perspective.

[T]

Well now! lol You just changed my mind or should I say, "fantasy" about Chilvary! lol Loved your perspective :) Wonderfully written ... hugs

[Sharon Miller Bolander]

If you dig into the history, it wasn't magical like many of us would like to think. I like the honesty in this one, Angi. Sharon

[Ray Hamilton]

I never thought of it that way!!
You do make a good point
But the same can be said for all fighting
Weather it be at home or off at war
There should be a better way of solving problems
than having loss of respect or worse loss of life
But don't lump all men together please
There are good and bad in both sexes don't you think?
Well written
Ray

[Rose]

I love your point, and while I love medieval fantasy, I actually enjoy the more realistic ones.

I especially love this section:

So they could kill with impunity
Just by telling
it was for a fragile lady