The Dark King, The Dragon And The Lady

A-long ago in northern climes
A lady whiled away the times
In writing sundry types of rhymes.
A poetess was she-oh,
A poetess was she.

Although she had not beauty rare,
Of wit she had a goodly share,
And foolish men she could not bear
Who'd judge by what they'd see-oh,
Who'd judge by what they'd see.

A dragon came up from the East.
He was not fearsome in the least,
But with her on sweet words did feast
And poems from the heart-oh,
And poems from the heart.

But still the dragon claimed her not.
His situation was too hot,
Which causes thickening of the plot,
And her lament did start-oh,
And her lament did start.

She said, "Alas!  What shall I do?
This dragon was one of but few
Who showed sufficient sense to woo,
And now he's gone away-oh,
And now he's gone away.

Anon a dark king then passed by,
Upon the lady cast his eye.
He saw her charms and wondered why
She sat so long alone-oh,
She sat so long alone.

Then lo!  The dark king rode away
With dragons on his mind to slay
On southern quest stayed many a day
To ornament his throne-oh,
To ornament his throne.

She was perplexed, cried, "Can it be
That they have both forgotten me?
In faith, their thinking I'll not see!'
A tigress she became-oh,
A tigress she became.

She purred, "Good king, come hither, please.
Thou seest not forest for the trees.
Let's talk of love and poesies,"
And thus her plea did frame-oh,
And thus her plea did frame.

Into her works he did inquire.
Their converse did ignite a fire
And soon did further verse inspire.
Oh happy then were they-oh,
Oh happy then were they!

The dragon, saved from sure distress,
Did take it on himself to bless
The king's and lady's happiness
To write another day-oh,
To write another day.

From that day on, as it befalls,
They all lived inside castle walls,
Reading poetry in the halls,
The loveliest of friends-oh,
The loveliest of friends.

For though men might oft gang agley,
A woman's heart may light the way.
And now I've nothing else to say
And thus my story ends-oh,
And thus my story ends.

~ Marilyn Gordon~
 January 1, 2002