I Have a Duty

I have a duty to the form
for in the past it was the norm
to insult the queen and king
with lyrics for peons to sing.
A mix of words to sting the beast
that fed upon an unearned feast
and fueled the tattered shoeless class
inflamed old fires from their past
turned the battle cry of words
to bloodied hilt and blade of swords.
So did the ballads turn by fate
extol the virtue of the great
as shoeless peons tilled the field
reaped not the bounty of their yield.
The jester's danced for headless king
who silenced those who dared to sing
the jester danced, the dance a ruse
protecting fate's poetic muse.
And in his cryptic, mocking schemes
rekindling lost battle's dreams.

10/6/2020

A Poet's Duty Poetry Contest
Sponsor - Beth Evans
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Wolf Avatar
October 7, 2020 at 2:47 PM
Truly this knave's delight to feast my eyes on this one, John. Precisely! Thanks, Gershon
Buhagiar Avatar
October 6, 2020 at 11:14 PM
You would have made a great troubadour. Beautiful lyrical poem ~~
Lawless Avatar
October 8, 2020 at 9:21 AM
with my voice the peasants would have thrown rotten fruit and burned my lyre
Pigeon Tart Avatar
October 6, 2020 at 9:02 AM
Yes. Fave. xomo
Lawless Avatar
October 8, 2020 at 9:22 AM
Glad you liked it Mo
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