The (Silly) Knight’s Tale

There once was a knight,
the bravest in sight,
who dared spend a night
in the Mad Queen's court,
a mighty armoured fort.

With lamentations
and incantations,
the Mad Queen's venom
(with a slice of lemon)
went coursing through his vein;
his strength began to wane.

His brothers of the sword,
meeting on a green sward,
each a knight who swore to fight
to save him from the queen's hand,
off set the merrie band.

With flagons of ale,
they swore not to fail.

They left ladies-in-waiting
and dragons were baiting
their way with silver and gold.
No treasure that's sold
could alter their road
through lands dismal and cold.

Into the fray,
his beard all a-grey,
a wizard appeared,
his powers mighty and weird.
"The knight," spoke the mage, most feared,
"has decided to rest.
"No more will he quest!"

A truce he did declare
-- but to be fair,
he sent the troupe their way
to do as they may
for ladies were waiting
and dragons were mating
and long and bright
is the sword of a knight.

‘Tis how the tale is told
in hamlets of old
when knights, they were bold.
(Or so I've been told...)

Crysta Clineman, an East Coast gal, is a big fan of poetry and fantasy fiction. (Can you say “Frodo Lives!”?) This is her first poetry publication since college where she was in Adagio, The Helix, and Tunxis Poetry Review.

Find more by Crysta Clineman in the Author Index.

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