Best Longbow Poems
Chaste and more graceful
Than the white canvassed Dhow:
Reclines sweet Nefertiti
Upon a Blue Nile breeze.
Fabled entity more whiter
Than the purest white snow
That thickly blankets
And folds over the wide Pyrenees.
Dipped is thy beak
Into a harvesters August sunset;
A Bohun proper,
Gorged and chained with a crown;
Tipped Argent quills
Thus scrawl across royal warrants:
Plodding, punctilious creature -
Of high born renown!
Proudly thy trumpet Lancastrian ascension,
Emblazoned on a Heraldic shield;
Pomp and indignation
Paddling alongside contemptuous scorn;
Sinuous neck of Serpentine undulations
Tensioned as if a Longbow -
On whose plaited strings
The sturdy Yeomans Bodkins were drawn!
And did Columbines mask
Ever hold such indignant eyes
For whose feathered heart
The diligent cob did attend?
His sedulous efforts
To court within impassioned grunts
When intertwining throats
Do abouts and lovingly wend.
O, Cygnus olor!
En monde bosse - glittering Dunstable jewel;
Pen and immortal verse
Chart beside heavens gilded streams.
For under old mariners discarded stars
And above silvered byways:
Whoop the beat of dusted wings
Inside slumbering clouds wandering dreams.
“Laws of the land enslave our people”
-Robin Hood
Sunlight glances off the flint tip
As justice swims through the air
The belly of the bow stave
Carved in yew
Whose nock, twined in hemp
Bonded in beeswax
Burns with the passion of man
Forged in the forest
Practiced on the buckle
Freedom flies true
Freedom
Flies true
01/28/12
Dawn broke
The eastern pink sky
Drew across the stars
As they faded and lost to the night
I called the eagle
To guide me
Piercing whistle
That I learnt as a boy
Running wild and free
I walked in the company of men
High above, eagles flew
The wraiths are coming from the otherworld too
Carrying the angst and pain
That has no place and name
Here at Heartstone
The screeching and wailing
Increased hideously
The tattered cloaks
Scattering the scree
I stood, with the company of men
My bow ready
Arrows drawn
Arm, steady
I have trained to defend
Truth and love
Nobility
Chivalry
The wraiths gathered
The screeching and wailings
Piercing through
To our souls
We are ready
To fight to the end
To defend
All that is true
The flight of an arrow
Unleashed
Steadied by the eagles’ feather
Of brown and gold
It flew
Straight and true
In to the non existent heart
Of a wraith bitter and cold
It was this I slew
A bundle of rags fell
For it is not the metal tip
That killed
It was the feather of a Heartstone Eagle
Truth be told
That slew
A wraith, bitter and cold
The wraiths flew
From behind the mountain
The screeching and wailing
Tattered cloaks
Scattering the scree
They came in their hundreds
To fall
For, truth and love
From a feather
Of a mighty eagle above
Slew the hearts
Bitter and cold
Brown and gold glow
Flashing by
The flight of an arrow
The archers
Standing tall
The gleam of brown and gold
That flew
Deep in to the cold bitter hearts
Of stories now told
Of men of the longbow
I reached
I pulled
Many arrows to fly
Of a star
Of a longbow
Aquila am I
The longbow of dark wood
Felt my strength
As I clasped its’ bronze inlaid feathers
And reached
And pulled
Arrows of brown and gold
Deep into wraiths
Its’ purpose understood
The sky turned black
With eagles that twisted and turned
Of wraiths, slain
Felled by the longbow
Down they fell
In to their own stinking hell
The brown and gold aglow
Darkness falling
The fires lit so bright
In a company of men
That celebrated under starlight
Remember….
This day well
When the archers
Masters of the longbow
Sent the wraiths back
To their stinking hell
Of Aquila
Who slew
More than most
The flight of an arrow
That holds true
Flare to the heavens
Fired by a goddess’s longbow
Igniting a great passion
She says we should meet
At the hills above her feet
Where billowing clouds reside
Russell Sivey
Chipped the factor of maybe days,
Wondering sweet tooth cracked in the night
And the cap spilled parallel, baring the nerves,
Electrical jolts from a tin foil bite.
She hurled back her head and laughed aloud,
So her neck made a finger snap sound,
In massacred leaves and juniper groves
Arched her longbow spine on the cold winter ground.
Strobing snowflakes abandoned in her hair,
Glitter bugs gleamed by a vampire moon,
Hewn blue-rose thighs buried life alive,
In a freezing of flesh, it was over so soon.
A harbour relented, cheaply complacent,
Moonstruck asylum, the member shrank small,
And tucking her womanhood moistly home,
I died for to her it meant nothing at all.
The archers’ line was straddled,
By many a shapely calf.
The Marshall called the nocking,
And winked at the pretty lass.
The Maiden drew the bowstring back,
To her ruddy cheek,
As she fired her fledgling flights;
They heard the fair Maid "Eek!"
Chorus
"Sing Hey Ho, best beware!
Hey Ho have a care,
If ye've any pretty parts,
Ye'll keep them out of there!"
The bowman smiled and nodded,
As the Maiden struck a pose.
"Try again M'Darlin' Dear,
"But watch out for y'er nose!"
The Maiden rubbed her forearm,
And looked back with a glare.
Nocked another arrow shaft,
And hit the bull's-eye square.
Gentles all they tipped their hats.
The Marshall cleared the field.
The Maiden went to fetch her flights.
The men trod close at heel.
Returning with a manly stride,
Yet again, she took her stance.
The bowmen's eyes all glimmered,
With mischief far in advance.
Chorus
Pulling back her bow string,
To her crimson cheek so close,
She let another arrow fly free.
The string hit her in the nose!
Tears welled in the Maiden's eyes.
All the gentlemen rushed the Dear.
Wiping the pretty lassies face,
Of every single tear.
They brushed the few stray auburn locks
From before her green-brown eyes
Handed her the fine longbow,
And heard her sorrowful sighs,
"Do try again M'Dear Mistress,
But for your form we fear,
So, be very, very, careful Maid!
Keep those nipples out of there!"
Chorus
'Twas 'pon the final flurry,
As she drew string back to cheek;
"Thwack" went the taunting bowstring,
And again the Maiden "Eekked!"
Her cheeks they blanched a deathly white,
'Pon her brow there came a frown;
Still, when the Marshall called count;
She gamely shot the round.
"Sing Hey Ho, don't be scared,
Hey Ho just take a care,
'Tis simply a friendly warning
Not to put ye're pretty parts there!"
A young squire set off
through the dark woods
he was on his way to town
to find adventure and fun
When he was set upon by villains
bravely he fought them off
his sword now blood-red
on toward the town ahead
Then a fearsome dragon
blocked his way with fire
he strung his longbow
and shot it dead through the eye
He passed by an old man
his cart stuck in a rut
the squire lent a hand
his gaze he could not advert
He has e-spied a comely maiden
hair of gold and lips like satin
a twinkle in her blue eyes as she gazed
struck by the bolt of love
He rode with them to town
saw them settled in the inn
then to the lord of the manor
to swear his fealty on bended knee
The lord knighted the young squire
"A boon, I ask," my lord, "I am in love
and wish to wed. Will you grant my wish"?
"Indeed I will," the lord replied,
"Lets all feast and be merry
as you take your bride's hand",
a banquet spread before them
they exchanged their rings
Now they retire to the boudoir
there let us leave this pair of new weds
written 03/22/2013
contest: medaeval idealism
Magic can never be undone
This is the way
Of stars
Of magic
Of me
My journey with Aquila
Has begun
We left that dark wood
Where together
We stood
We fought
The Wraiths’ night
My Aquila
His mighty longbow
That love
Always survives the onslaught
To find a Shadowfire
In the Wraiths’ night
I carried it carefully
It must be given
When the time is right
This is the way
Of stars
Magic
Of me
A castle filled with light
Love and laughter
Trees that whispered
Faeries that sing
With beauty and delight
Aquila and Moondust
The last night at Heartstone
A feast in the Great Hall
That such love
Is within us all
A journey has begun
In soft dawn light
The early sun
Took away the night
The Kings and Queens
Gave them a Shadowfire
As for the Heartstone
It has always been with them
It is seen
Every day
In their love
Softly glowing
A journey has begun
In soft dawn light
Moondust upon her horse
Aquila and his longbow
Of magic
Of nature
and golden sun
In the virgin pool waters of Point Erin
stood a siren in her fairest beauty all -
my heart dared to want and its flesh of sin
did upon her beguiling favours call.
Remembered are the concubines of court -
a fire in my codpiece and in my jocks,
jousting grey knights whom over you fought
and a Celtic Queen in long flaxen locks.
Over the toll bridge a young lord and prince
from the realm of Epsom landed Birkdale,
to seek sweet raptures in my limerence
by she possessed of its Unholy Grail.
O’ what forbidden enchantment was she
when the spinning bottle of fortune spun,
and what soft lingering kiss given me
when the party kissing contest we won.
Every once in a while the stars and fates
shine upon the archer and his longbow,
and the wondered youthful heart elates
at its piercing tip and flight of arrow.
Over the toll bridge a young lord and prince
from the realm of Epsom landed Birkdale,
to seek sweet raptures in my limerence
by she possessed of its Unholy Grail.
Written: April 1994
Across the bridge
In to the depths
Of the other side
I felt the faint prickle
Of something
Not alive
Moondust felt it too
Of cold winds
Tattered cloaks
Blowing through
Moondusts’ horse
Whose name is known only to her
Shivered and snorted
The rising cold air
Let us leave this place
My longbow unsheathed
Arrows of brown and gold
At the ready
Moondust magic
The light wreathed
I felt it deep
Moondust too
That evil can seep
In to beauty
And stain it in darkened hues
As one
Evil cannot prevail
For love
Beauty and magic
Stars
Will never fail
It cannot divide
What lies within
Will never hide
It bursts forth
Soft amethyst light
Washing away
The stain of the night
I rode with Aquila
Across the meadows
Through the trees
His love,
Is all I need
That I chose
A man
That carried a longbow
In that clearing
I stepped in from the night
Summer nights
Are not the same
Without him
Summer days
With Aquila
Sublime
Faerie magic
In this joining
Of stars
Magic
Nature
And love
Old Sailor's Heartfelt Plea To Lost Love
Thou hast torn fine sails from anchored ship's mast
In harbor previously thought true safe.
Thy sudden change has left my heart aghast
now thy poison arrows, this body strafe.
With thy dark, longbow and its hard flung hits
thee hast sent this soul to hellish, black pits.
Nay! Thy dread-wrath could not be any worse!
Found not, the answer to thy evil curse!
With thy words, black skies crushed sweet life from me
I beseech, thy raging heart to repent.
Join again! Set sail to gentle blue sea
Find thou, that mercy can truly be sent!
If thou can yet, grasp love now forgotten.
Find thee, hateful curse sent ill begotten!
Robert J. Lindley, 1-07-2017
(English sonnet)
I prefer this label-- Sonnet, (Classicism flavored)
Syllables Per Line: 10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10
Total # Syllables: 140
Total # Words: 112
Not for contest..
This was inspired by my reading here, a truly superb sonnet this morn!
The artist, caused me to strive to better in my writings.
I pray that this humble effort has proven to be a fruitful attempt at that goal...
Know this, a great many poets here have me truly amazed at their talent, inspiration kind souls, and giving hearts...
They came at night
Just before dawn
Moondust awoke
I heard the wraiths’ shrieking cries
Faeries’ magic to invoke
Longbow drawn
I kissed my Moondust
Then back to back
We waited for the onslaught
A Faerie Queen ready
My longbow ready
The battle to be fought
Soft amethyst light
Surrounded us
The love within
Will conquer the stain of the night
So it was, that evil
Tried to take
What was never theirs
That love can never break
Of spells that spill
The flashing fire
Amethyst light
Together we stood
And banished the night
Time and time again
They came
They could never win
Fighting as one
Loving as one
Of Faerie magic
Arrows brown and gold
What lies within
Will never hide
It burst forth
Soft amethyst light
Washing away
The stain of the night
Draper to dram shop, loops
Drains loves to clean draggle tails,
Draws well done the longbow,
Diarrhea of dusty words
Double does up
Dor-likes
Devoid