Blood Upon Stone

BLOOD UPON STONE

It stands atop a distant hill,
A mound made up of stones,
Rocks that tell a story,
Of passion, blood and bones.

The walls are grim and blackened,
Dark with smoke and rage,
The thunder of shooting canons,
From a bygone age.

It smells of want and passions heat,
Stolen moments, found and lost,
Of obsession, anger and defeat,
Of lovers, time never forgot.

Through the crumbling rooms,
They say of Lillian's Keep,
Echo the sounds of weeping,
So the legends speak.

Across the sun-drenched meadow,
They had run young and free,
In the shadow of the castle,
Their love was not to be.

Both of noble bearing,
Both, one of a kind,
But little did they know,
Their lives they could not bind.

She was pledged to another,
But her heart was with her lord,
He knew not of the blood oath,
For this the armies fought.

The castle shook with each onslaught,
As fire tore through the floor,
Its lady roamed the hallways,
Looking for a door.

Everywhere she turned to flee,
A soldier barred her way,
Command by their Lord and King,
Or with life to pay.

Her screams rent the silent winds,
Calling out his name,
He galloped outside the darkening walls,
Fighting all in vain.

The roof caved in the fire licked,
The beams that stood like bone,
Finally her screams were gone,
She lay underneath the stone.

Kissing the dying girl below,
Sensually the embers stole,
Stroking, loving, killing her
Till she gave up her soul.

The last defender fell beneath,
The broad blade as it lashed,
The warrior sought his ladylove,
To find a heap of ash.

His eyes ran with tears of red,
His throat let loose a roar,
Sinking to his knees he touched,
That which was no more.

He heard her voice from far away,
In meadows once they ran,
Raised his blood stained sword on high,
And finished what was the man.

Again they live again they die,
Again their pledge forsworn,
Save alone the castle walls,
Mute testimony in stone.

~Sujata~

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