Tintagel

Still I stood, as fire, set bright against

The lithe day’s clouds, and scattered rainbows

firefly green against the gray sun’s mantle.

My sword drawn sharp against the sky

etched silver sigils in the mist

till grey dew dripped from hilt to tip

and color came in stages

 

My battle won I’d stow away in creeping

Prickled gables, where sun sown green within

The halls bedecked the blue blacked baubles

the campaigns stolen bright and sweet,

Stained purple as they dwindled

gave strength to hold the mighty keep

From feathered c**k and pheasant

 

Still moon by moon the grey minced on

and blade frowned dull with weary

it iced the green and bit upon

The teeming grass, it dithered.

Till wave by wave the tawny masses

Lessened as they wavered

And slowly set to slivers

They all bowed before the slavers

 

Cast out from kingdoms whitely burnt

The warrior queen wandered

Till age ahead set once behind

the future green unfeld

unbound by soft from chains of ice

the champion besided, slashed

sharp to shreds the snowy fetters

folding on the fields

 

I settled then, as embers burst,

in scattered waves of purple that lit upon

the cabbage moth to make the grayed wings

bright. As back to back and side to side

sun shattered through our crystal

and cut by cut we carved the world

a thousand lengths of light

 

Still here the song sings softly on

The brambles grown with many

cut slowly from the endless grey

by scrambling fields of green

the berries now no longer seen

I have no need of any

My kingdom safe I smile and wait

 

My comrades hold the green