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In Days of Robin Hood

In Days of Robin Hood

In days of yore,
In the days of Robin Hood,
A merry band of outlaws
Rambled throughout Sherwood Forest
(Home of the Major Oak,
North of Windsor Castle,
And south of Hadrian’s Wall).

They dressed in Lincoln green
And whistled in the greenwood glades,
Arming themselves with daggers and swords,
Cudgels, quarterstaves, and longbows,
With which they used to rob from the rich
(Who took from the commoners, peasants, and serfs)
And then cheerfully gave to the poor.

Prince John of England was furious
That they would usurp his authority
And demanded that the Sheriff of Nottingham
Quell the adventurous company.
But to no avail could the Sheriff prevail
Against Robin Hood’s strength and guile,
Who traipsed merrily upon the King’s trails.

The yeomen knew they needed social structure,
Or they wouldn’t be able to live together.
To whom would they turn for judgment
When someone committed mischief?
Each to his or her own, God willing,
And so they were willing to pay the taxes
For some semblance of law and order.

But it was the king who grew too greedy
And demanded more than they could give
That threw the system out of kilter
And caused tempers to boil over,
Leading to bedlam, mayhem, and disorder.
But thanks to Robin Hood and his merry men,
And the barons of jolly old England,
They brought the tyrant King John to his knees
To seal the Magna Carta.
                       ***

Note:
   The “Magna Carta” was sealed at Runnymede (located twenty miles west of London, England) on June 15, 1215. The document was the first instance where the King of England agreed to be subject to the laws of the land.
   “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions…except by the lawful judgment of his peers. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right of justice…”

Copyright © Dennis Spilchuk | Year Posted 2021

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