A Simples Hero Tale
A Simple Hero’s Tale
A cage, a bird, another soul, Bereft of its decisive goal, Taken by the demon frightful, To his den so unsightful,
I could not stand so powerless And ponder this and always guess Of how she fared inside her cage It filled me so with endless rage
To set her free I roamed the realm, My armor donned, with sword and helm, The fields I filled with enemies, To find her now, my love, Felice,
Upon my stumbling on a fort, My quest, I say, it was cut short, I found her there inside a gaol, I thanked the gods, I called “O, Hail!”
Her eyes so black the night was nothing, Her teeth were crooked, Her skin was rotting, A lie it was, I struck it down, It disappeared, it left her gown,
Past borders, meadows, even mountains, I found no trace of my loves count’nance, Then after straying ‘pon a hovel, I met a man who did so grovel,
The man I sought, he said, had sent him, His mouth in pleasure, the smallest grin, An accounting tale he launched into, Of all I’d done hit hereto, He knew of exploits long forgotten, And of deeds I had begotten, He spoke to me of what he’d found, That far below us she was bound,
Lastly he did show a crevice, Inside I slipped towards the darkness, A demon there, protecting cages, And the locks I’d sought for ages,
The demon blazed his black’ning fire, And swiped his tail without a tire, Losing swords and spears in battle-waging,
I saw still hope in the war now raging
Without my sword I was distraught, Still on with shield and hands I fought, My armor glowing from the blaze, My mind in chaos, in a haze,
Then suddenly I grasped his neck, I thrust my shield up with a crack, Then with a cry he burned my hand, Just before he turned to sand,
What remained was merely dust, Blown away by an eerie gust, Below that ash I found a remnant, That fit upon the cages pendant,
Open sprang the lock and door, To reunite me with my love once more!