The Lambton Worm

youthful roguery
Holy Sabbath spent fishing
strange evil hauled in

squirming eldritch worm
a nearby well deep and dark
fell catch discarded

brave crusading knight
seven long years overseas
folly forgotten

a growing menace
wound three times around a hill
ravenous devil

woolly flocks consumed
every dairy cow drained dry
countryside ravaged

diabolic beast
severed pieces recombine
immortal terror

the castle threatened
costly daily ritual
destitute estate

lordly dilemma
wise-woman consultation
clever solution

spike-studded armour
bloody fight in the river
the worm defeated

Richard H. Fay is an author, artist, and home school dad who resides in Upstate New York. He is inspired by medieval history, myth, and legend, and the classics of fantasy literature. His diverse and interconnected interests drive his artistic endeavour. He writes fantasy prose and poetry, as well as dabbling in science fiction and horror. Recently he has decided to begin writing as more than just a sideline, although he has been writing seriously since the 1980s.

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