William Kelii Kekaula Poet Narrative

Notes About The Poem

Poetic Form: Narrative

Count Strahd von Zarovich Poetry Contest

Sponsor: Robert James Liguori

Entry Submitted: 2025 November 16

Contest Judged: 2025 December 16

Contest Placement: 2nd Place

The Curse of Castle Ravenloft

In the halls of Castle Ravenloft, Strahd is the perpetual sigh of the stones themselves, a fallen lord bound within his domain.  He is the weeping sky of Barovia, casting an eternal shadow of gloom over the land he once sought to protect.

Once, a warrior with a heart so bold, Strahd’s life was a vibrant banner, his deeds in battle a rousing story.  But that was a lifetime ago.  Now, he is the curse that ravaged time and space, a raven-haired, pale-faced phantom, the embodiment of a love twisted into a ceaseless obsession.

He is the castle looms, a silhouette of fear that watches souls caught in a dreaded place.  Strahd is the restless hunger, a consuming fire fueled by the betrayal that damned him.  The mists swirling around Barovia are his silent, stern command, the very breath he exhales to guard the borders of his haunted realm.

Strahd is Barovia, and Barovia is Strahd, a timeless tyrant steeped in regret and pride, with centuries of darkness for a bride.  He is the eternal echo of a heart that once beat with passion, now cold, relentless everywhere.

In halls of stone where shadows lie,
A fallen lord beneath a weeping sky.
Strahd, the name whispered in the gloom,
A master bound within his own dark tomb.

Once, a warrior with a heart so bold,
Whose deeds in battle were a story told.
He sought a love, a light, a saving grace,
But found a curse that ravaged time and space.

Now, raven-haired, with a pale, cold face,
He watches souls caught in this dreaded place.
The castle looms, a silhouette of fear,
And Tatyana’s ghost, forever near.

A restless hunger, a consuming fire,
Fueled by betrayal and a dark desire.
The mists obey his silent, stern command,
Guarding the borders of this haunted land.

So tread the paths of Barovia with care,
Whom Strahd von Zarovich is everywhere.
A timeless tyrant, steeped in regret and pride,
With centuries of darkness for a bride.

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Robert James Liguori December 16, 2025 at 8:04 AM Wonderful poem; I loved reading it. A well deserved second place finish! William Kelii Kekaula December 16, 2025 at 9:18 AM I noted my honorable placement, Robert. Thank you, my friend. Aloha, William.