This one is from 1986. Twenty-one years later, and I've still got the same images playing through my mind! (Current novel takes place in Dark Age Britain)
In Medieval English Woods
The pound of hooves beginning
Bodies crouching
In the waiting
The hiss of leaves
And popping branches - torn
The rip of moss from earth
The thud of hearts
In night attack
Demon shadows leap
A fear-stained man
His arm to swing at air
While one who sees his moment
Strikes
Their faces kiss
The slipping sliding for the stance
On blood-slicked rocks
The knights astride their mounts
Heavy spathas hacking
Stopped with wrenching force
By parries
Or the shield of breastbone
The sword sucks from the wound
The dying form
Slumps from his horse
And falls
Spirits linger
Cold tendrils hanging
From the shoulders of
The ones still fighting
Weary with the clotting blood
With steaming breath
The horses strain to bolt
Each head dragged by the bit
In the leaving
The knights canter from the scene
Indifference flowing from them
Like a billowing cape
Panting
The others slog
Exhausted through the mire
In confusion
Copyright 1986 Julia Smith
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Poetry Train Monday - 6 - In Medieval English Woods
Posted by Julia Phillips Smith at 8:29 PM
Labels: In Medieval English Woods, Poem
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14 comments:
Um, I'm totally doing the "I'm not worthy" bow right now. That poem was so amazing...wow. It's so hard to pull of medieval without being cheesy, but you sooo pulled it off. I loved this.
More recycled goodness from the blog of Julia.
A great poem, thanks for ressurecting it.
Wow, that rocked Julia. I loved this part:
Demon shadows leap
A fear-stained man
His arm to swing at air
While one who sees his moment
Strikes
Their faces kiss
The slipping sliding for the stance
On blood-slicked rocks
Well done!
You indeed have great talent as a wordsmith... please continue to share your writing!
Thanks!
Bill
Julia this is a beautiful poem. CLASSIC AND TIMELESS!! I'd never read it before so thanks for posting! =)
I really liked this imagery:
Spirits linger
Cold tendrils hanging
From the shoulders of
The ones still fighting
Cold indeed. ;)
That's an awesome poem. I love everything medievil. That's what I love to write and read and you did an amazing job of capturing a moment in time back then. Love it.
I always wanted to play Ado Annie but my school didn't do Oklahoma till after I left. Actually I know all the words to all the songs because I love that musical SO much.
Amy, did you see the Hugh Jackman version of "Oklahoma!"? He is truly awesome as Curly. As he wraps up "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" you'd swear he'd never sung those words until that moment. A tingly moment!
What a vivid portayal! It was like watching a movie. :D Wonderful, Julia!
I really loved this. My favorite was the 'fear-stained man', that just brought such a visual.
I agree with Feisty, medeival is hard, but you rocked this. It was like a high-budget movie in there, not an 80's bodice ripper, lol.
anna j evans
that poem totally kicks ASS!!
incredible!
Like Christine i loved the Demon stanza.
bowing and scraping along with Lillian...
well this definetly interested me in the next medieval story!
Julia,
I come visiting from Rhian's blog. I love the same stanza that Lisa commented on.
Spirits linger...
Very well done. :)
TA
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