A Mixed Bag # 10

ST SWITHIN AND QUEEN EMMA'S ORDEAL

Before the Norman Conquests
Princess Emma of Normandy
Became Queen Emma of England
Wife to King Æthelred the Unready
And then to Canute the Great of Denmark
She was falsely accused of adultery
But the night before her ordeal by fire
As she slept in Wargrave uneasily
Saint Swithun appeared in a dream
To tell her she would be set free

BELTANE

Beltane, on May 1st
Is one of the four
Gaelic seasonal festivals
Beltane marks
The beginning of summer
And the end spring.
Celebrated with feasting,
The decorating of homes
With May flowers,
Visiting the holy wells
And the lighting of bonfires

MALEVOLENCE

It isn’t the Prophet,
Playing on their fears
Nor is it God whispering
Poison in their ears
It isn’t even the cowardly
Old men with bitter breath
That pollute young minds
To be bringers of death
It’s a more ancient evil
Spreading hatreds spoors
That turn young souls
Into satanic warriors

THE ROSE LIKE BLOOM

The rose like bloom
Fresh and vivid as a blush
On a maiden’s cheek
The star of a the firmament
Of an English garden

THE GIRL IN THE PEONY RED

I noticed her immediately
As I entered the bar
The girl in the Peony red
And playing about her lips
There was an acquiescent smile
Which was aimed my way
But I didn’t return it
And let it pass me by
She wasn’t my type after all
I’m quite fussy that way
But I did cast a glance
In the general direction
Of the eager entourage of
Drooling men surrounding her
Feeding off her raw sexuality
And as I watched the mermaid
Surrounded by a pack of sharks
I realized that I had misread
The smile she sent my way
It wasn’t my company she sort
But my help she desired
She looked like a movie starlet
Cornered by the paparazzi
So I rescued the damsel
And since that day
We have been best friends

DRAGONS PERFORM AEROBATICS

Dragons perform aerobatics
In the azure sky
Griffons are asked to join in
But won’t even try
Dodo’s dance a perfect
Flightless jig
The bald eagle appears
Wearing a wig
Mermaids do aqua ballet
On a flat sea of glass
Unicorns canter through
Scented meadow grass
That’s the end of my
Nonsense I fear
If you want anymore
Try Edward Lear

CLASSICAL MUSIC MOVES ME

Classical music moves me
I’ve loved it from an early age
And although I can’t comprehend
The dots on the page
The music that they reveal
Is understood in any language