The poetry thread

[Aqua Letifer]

Robin Hood and the Monk
—my version, adopted heavily from the Cambridge Ff.5.48 manuscript. This was a real bitch to do.

In summer, when the woods were bright
And leaves grew large and long,
The merry forest welcomed in
The sparrows’ morning song

The deer were drawing to the dale
And left the hillocks free
And sheltered in beneath the shade
Of vaulted emerald trees

White Sunday, when the flowers bloomed
So brilliantly in May—
They rivaled dawn’s own gilded glow—
Such was the scene that day.

“A merry sight,” said Little John
“By Christ Upon the Cross,
To find a man as half-content
You’d all be at a loss!”

“Pick up your heart, my master, please,”
He ventured on to say,
“No light is ever fairer than
The morning light of May.”

“Except I’m troubled,” Robin said,
“I’m sorry that it shows.
It’s time for Sunday Mass again;
It’s there I ought to go.”

“It’s been a fortnight since I’ve been—
Much longer than I’d planned.
I’ll try today—but led, with luck
By Mary’s gentle hand.”

Along came Much, the Miller’s son,
Who took the two aside.
“So bring a dozen merry men
And let them be your guide!
If any wished to do you harm,
They’d risk their suicide.”

“Just one, my friend,” said Robin Hood,
“To keep us out of sight.
So Little John shall hold my bow—
Unless we find a fight.”

“You’ll hold your own,” said Little John,
“And me, I’ll carry mine.
In fact, a dollar wager for the man
Who shoots the truer line.”

“A dollar? No,” said Robin back
“Let’s have a little fun:
For besting me in archery,
I’ll give you three-to-one.”

They wagered once, and wagered twice
As both dared not to lose
‘Till Little John had won enough
To buy new socks and shoes.

Then silence grew between the two
As Robin stormed ahead
The other tried to claim his prize
When Robin turned his head.

He fiercely struck at Little John—
“You cheated!” Robin roared
And Little John responded fast
By brandishing his sword.

“Were you another’s master, Robin,
I’d sorely make you pay.
Return to town. Go where you will.
You walk alone today.”

So Robin walked to Nottingham,
Uneasy and alone,
And Little John, to Sherwood by
The paths he’d always known.

And later, once in Nottingham,
A hooded man began
To pray to Mary and to God
To see him safe again.

He stepped inside Saint Mary’s church
And knelt before the Lord
And all within saw Robin Hood
Alone, save bow and sword.

Across from him, a local monk
Whose head sat full and round
Identified the visitor
And quickly spun around

He bolted out the door and sought
The sheriff as he fled—
Disrupting Robin’s sanctuary,
Betraying him instead.

While searching all of Nottingham,
He told the sheriff’s men:
“Secure the gates and arm yourself—
The Thief returns again!”

He found the sheriff as he yelled,
“Rise up, and fix your ears!
Surround the church with all your guards,
Your ‘Robin Hood’ is here!

I saw the felon there myself,
Attending Sunday mass
The failure’s yours and yours alone
If he’s allowed to pass!

I know the traitor, same as you—
He sprang and robbed me blind!
A hundred pounds he took from me—
It’s never left my mind.”

The sheriff nodded, thanked the monk
And smiled, now content.
He mobilized his strongest men
And to the church they went.

They beat upon St. Mary’s doors
With staves dispersed and drawn
“‘Just two,’ I said,” spat Robin Hood,
“And now, no Little John!”

He drew his longsword out at once
And held it by his knee,
Then charged against the sheriff’s men
Their staves now swinging free

Thrice through did Robin come at them
And those who saw it say
He wounded countless armored guards
And twelve he killed that day.

His sword, upon the sheriff’s head,
Abruptly broke in two.
“The smith that made you,” Robin said,
“Deserves to be run through!

I’m weaponless, and so I yield,
Before more blood is spilled.
(And if I ran, they barred the gates—
They’d surely have me killed.)”

————————————

Within the forest, past the towns,
Beyond their field and glen,
Stood Little John, who spoke at once
Before the merry men:

“Our master’s not returned and I
Suspect he’s locked away.
But quiet! Listen up, my friends,
And hear what I would say—

He’s served Our Lady piously;
For us, She will provide.
Because of Her, despite my fears,
I don’t believe he died.

So please be glad,” said Little John,
“And let your mourning go.
I’ll leave with Much to bring him back;
The monk? We’ll bring him low.
If Mild Mary lends Her might,
We’ll give him what he’s owed.

Keep watch upon our meeting tree
And while we’re down the trail,
Bring back that summer venison
That stalks our wooded vale.”

They crossed the forest, John and Much—
Beyond the trees, the two
Arrived at Much’s uncle’s house,
The highway in full view.

The morning came, and from the house,
The two companions saw
The monk come riding with a Page
In the gentle light of dawn.

“By faith alone,” said Little John,
“Our luck would be this good!
The very monk we’re looking for—
I know him by his hood!”

They joined the road, both Much and John,
And like two gentlemen
Approached the monk and little Page
As if they’d been old friends

“From where’d you come?” asked Little John.
“I’d heard a merchant say
An outlaw stalking Nottingham
Was taken yesterday.

He stole from us some twenty marks—
We wondered if you knew
Was what our friend had said of his
Incarceration true?”

“A hundred pounds,” The monk replied,
“He lifted from my purse!
He’s captured, thanks to me alone;
It’s I who saw him first.”

“Give thanks to God!” said Little John,
“We’d like to, if we may,
Provide you two some company
And bring you on your way.

It’s up to you—the two of us
Aren’t felons to be feared;
But Robin’s woods have many friends
and you could disappear.”

He’d gladly bear their company,
The monk told Little John.
But the king was waiting for his word,
So they continued on.

John walked beside the monk awhile,
Then turned to speak. Instead,
He grabbed the horse the monk was on
And yanked him by the head.

Then Much locked arms around the Page
In case he tried to stray,
As John pulled down the hefty monk
Whose horse began to bray.

When Little John unsheathed his sword,
His wild eyes grew wide;
The monk, who saw his death at-hand
Fell to his knees and cried.

“You jailed my master,” shouted John,
“Your soul I see is rotten!
You’ll never meet our king. What’s more,
Your fate will be forgotten.”

John slew the monk and took his head,
Dispatching him to hell,
Then Much removed the Page’s, too,
For fear that he might tell.

They stole the letters from their bags,
As swords rejoined their sheaths,
They buried both the page and monk
In shallow graves beneath

When John appeared before the king,
He knelt upon his knee,
“May God preserve you, lord,” he said,
“And Jesus save and see!”

He gave him letters that the monk
Had kept before he died
The king drew close, inspecting them
At once, and then replied:

“Upon my throne, there never was
Such trouble on my mind,
Or a yeoman all throughout our land
I wanted more to find.

But where’s the monk who wrote to me?
I’d see him, if I may.”
“My lord, I’m sorry,” mumbled John,
“He died along the way.”

The king gave Much and Little John
Both twenty pounds before
He made them yeomen of the crown
Requesting one thing more:

He gave to John his seal in-hand—
The sheriff, as his arm,
Shall carry Robin to the king
But none shall do him harm.

Then John and Much took leave at once,
And as the stories say,
Toward Nottingham they never stopped—
They ran for one full day.

When Little John and Much arrived,
The outer gates were barred.
They tried in vain to lift them up,
And called upon a guard:

“What cause is there,” John asked of him,
To bar the gates so fast?”
“Because of Robin Hood,” he said,
“In prison now at last!

“Will Scarlock, Little John and Much,
Those friends of Robin Hood,
They sometimes stalk about these walls—
They'd kill us if they could.”

The two produced the royal seal,
The guardsmen let them in,
And by the village square, they found
The sheriff with his men.

John drew the message from the king
Removed its outer band
And with the sheriff looking on,
John placed it in his hand.

The sheriff glanced upon the seal
And said, “The monk’s not here?
But where’s he gone?” he asked of John,
And turned so he could hear.

“He’s now an abbot,” John replied,
“As true as I now stand:
Westminster Abbey. Ordered by
The Crown and God’s command.”

The sheriff smiled at the two,
And treated them as guests.
By night, the group retired to
Their beds to take their rest.

And later, as the sheriff slept,
Still drunk on wine and ale,
Both Little John and Much arose
To slip inside the jail.

The two snuck up behind the guard:
“Wake up!” said Little John—
“The bandit, Robin Hood, escaped!
Get up! You see? He’s gone!”

The jailer readied straight away
But startled at the call,
So with a sword, John ran him through—
He died against the wall.

“I’ve been demoted to a guard,”
Said John with teasing eyes.
He took the keys to Robin’s cell
And freed him of his ties.

He offered him the jailer’s sword
Which seemed to be well-kept
Then, once they scaled the village wall,
In darkness, down they leapt.

That morning, when the roosters crowed
And twilight gently fell,
The Sheriff found the jailer’s corpse
And struck the common bell.

“My villagers!” he shouted out,
“If you can hold a sword
And carry Robin Hood to me,
You’ll name your own reward!

I cannot dare approach the king—
Our prisoner has fled!
And if he knew what happened here,
He’d surely have my head!”

He ran to scour Nottingham,
Through every street and stall,
And Robin, back in Sherwood, smiled:
Uninjured after all.

Then Little John addressed his master:
“I’ve something I must say—
You owe a debt, but I’ve made good—
Repay me when you may.”

“Our bitterness is now cleared up,
Again I clearly say.
I’ve brought you through our greenwood line
Now see me on my way.”

“I don’t accept your leave,” said Robin,
Not now, not even then!
Instead, let’s make you master of
This group of merry men.”

“A fellow’s who I am,” said John,
“And shall I ever be.
Throughout our dark ordeal today,
It’s clear for all to see:
A master’s life is death delayed—
Too dangerous for me.”

Then John and Robin joined the rest
Of Sherwood’s merry men
And when they saw him whole and sound
They cheered throughout the glen.

A messenger soon told the king
A tale beyond belief:
His sheriff, bested by the men
Of Sherwood’s master thief.

But as the king began to speak,
His wrath was quickly quelled:
“That ‘Little John’ beguiled me—
My sheriff fooled as well!

The merry men have tricked us both
It’s obvious to me
I ought to hang my Sheriff up
From England’s tallest tree.

I made them yeomen of the crown,
Put money in their hands,
Then pardoned Little John and Much
Throughout my sovereign lands!

What John himself contended with,
The lengths through which he’s gone,
Because he loves his master so,
I’m calling him Saint John.

And Robin’s ever in his debt—
By stable, street and stall,
I’ll tell you this, and speak no more:
‘Saint John’ has tricked us all.”

Thus ends the Story of the Monk
Except to offer this:
May Robin’s luck run ever-long—
May Mary’s grace be his!

[Mik]

Aqua, is The Old Man yours? Love it, so I hope so. It has your voice.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Mik said in The poetry thread:

Aqua, is The Old Man yours? Love it, so I hope so. It has your voice.

Yeah, that was mine. Thanks, man.

[brenda]

@Aqua-Letifer

[Aqua Letifer]

Fire and Ice
—Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

[Mik]

@Aqua-Letifer

Love that.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Mik said in The poetry thread:

@Aqua-Letifer

Love that.

Typical tone for ol' "Bitter Frost," but yeah, still good.

[taiwan_girl]

Some good and interesting stuff here!!!!

[Mik]

[Catseye3]

'When You Are Old' (1892) by W.B.Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

[Aqua Letifer]

It's World Poetry Day, so here you go.

I wrote this about 11 years ago, give or take.

(For those interested, instead of iambic pentameter or some other form we borrowed from the Greeks, this was written in fornyrðislag, a pretty common alliterative verse form in medieval Iceland and Anglo-Saxon areas. It's good for long narratives.)

Contemplate carefully your curious eyes:
Your world-windows and wondrous informers
For our forebears, foregone by eras,
Scores of secrets their sight could tell:
Where to find water, when the stars
Brought beasts beyond the plains,
The time of tides.

This talent evolved
As with our ancestors, answering questions
Broader, more bold; we're able by sight
To compare, discover, equate and to judge.
We discern by sight—we see and believe.

Are we bounded by the blessings of broader sight?
We've clever inventions, devices to cast
Ourselves into stars, inside each atom;
We've mapped the material, mastered its puzzles.
But still we sit through each second's passing:
Powerless against perpetual Present, we remain
Interned by time.

We've turned in the past
To soothsayers and sages to scry our fortunes,
With vague visions and evasive hereafters
Granting but glimpses of the games Fates played,
Their schemes still concealed.

Now consider our Future:
Devoid of diviners, prevailing by reason,
We swap sages for science, trade
Mysticism for method. Must our vision
Still be restricted, stuck in the Now?
Can our complex, accomplished technology
Award us the wisdom once reserved
For Fates and far-seers? What fears await us
When science assumes Second Sight?

[Jolly]

An original 5-minute doggerel knock together...

In an obscure corner of the net
Resided the battling bastards
Screeching, arguing, but yet
Sometimes they quit flinging words

Strangely, they really did care
What happened to one and all
Trampling the growing tares,
To lay down their mace and ball

Fare thee well, my electronic friend
I wish you no lasting sorrow
And that you be made whole again
That I may kick your ass on the morrow

[Horace]

@Jolly said in The poetry thread:

An original 5-minute doggerel knock together...

In an obscure corner of the net
Resided the battling bastards
Screeching, arguing, but yet
Sometimes they quit flinging words

Strangely, they really did care
What happened to one and all
Trampling the growing tares,
To lay down their mace and ball

Fare thee well, my electronic friend
I wish you no lasting sorrow
And that you be made whole again
That I may kick your ass on the morrow

An ode to pwning libtards.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in The poetry thread:

An original 5-minute doggerel knock together...

In an obscure corner of the net
Resided the battling bastards
Screeching, arguing, but yet
Sometimes they quit flinging words

Strangely, they really did care
What happened to one and all
Trampling the growing tares,
To lay down their mace and ball

Fare thee well, my electronic friend
I wish you no lasting sorrow
And that you be made whole again
That I may kick your ass on the morrow

Nice one! Fun turn at the end there.

[Mik]

[Aqua Letifer]

Traveling for the Easter holiday and for some weird and crazy reason, this poem got in my head instead of thoughts of spring flowers.

So, on I went. I think I never saw
Such starv’d ignoble nature; nothing throve:
For flowers—as well expect a cedar grove!
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
You ’d think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

—Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came

[Catseye3]

@Aqua-Letifer said in The poetry thread:

You ’d think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

I'm like, "Okay, that's pretty good; maybe a little labored . . .

Oh wait, Browning??? I take it back, it's way good. Perfect.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Catseye3 said in The poetry thread:

@Aqua-Letifer said in The poetry thread:

You ’d think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

I'm like, "Good one; maybe a little labored . . .

Oh wait, Browning??? I take it back, it's way good. Perfect.

I'd say this is probably his densest poem. So it's challenging, even for Browning.

[Rainman]

@Aqua-Letifer said in The poetry thread:

Traveling for the Easter holiday and for some weird and crazy reason, this poem got in my head instead of thoughts of spring flowers.

So, on I went. I think I never saw
Such starv’d ignoble nature; nothing throve:
For flowers—as well expect a cedar grove!
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
You ’d think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

—Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came

So Aqua, what's wrong with me?
I read the same poem.
I read it again. And again.
And I think I kind of get a sense of what it's about.
But I'm probably wrong.
So, that's frustrating.
How is it that you love it, and I find it completely frustrating.
Not enjoyable.

[Doctor Phibes]

Here I sit
Broken hearted
Spent a penny
And only farted