I found you on that empty
field, crushed, not torn
like broken armor scattered
around that battle field.
I picked you up,
cradled you, nursed
you here in this tower of safety.
Above the wind over
silvery clouds
I hear his rage from down
around the tower.
He looks for you,
seeks victory over
not just broken bones
but broken spirit.
Fear not poor knight for I shall
protect you from our enemy hiding in dark.
I have fought him before
on that same battlefield.
He used his vile weapons to do
battle on my weak soul.
But, my fortifications were strong
back then and now.
He, vile Dark Knight,
made first pass with
words of insult on my
character.
I used the shield of
friendship to fend off
his first attack.
Oh vile Dark Knight, in his
next pass, his weapon was
brute force against my
Thousand Links of Rings.
With slash after slash, he slowly
broke through each link, till only
I remained.
Then weakened from his previous
assault, he, vile Dark Night, unleashed
his most hideous weapon of all.
Such was the attack, that he
forced me down, beg for
mercy, and still he would not stop.
It was there, on the bloodied
battlefield he left me alone
in cold dark night.
The wounds were deep,
and festered further into
my weak soul. And there
is were the damage became
most severe.
For weeks, I lay on bloodied
grass, with broken chains
and broken soul. The wounds
went deeper, and pain oh
the pain of defeat became too
great to bear. The world
went into that eternal dark night
and I knew the light of day
was forever out of my sight.
And then, in my eternal dark night,
the sorceress came from high
above the silvery clouds.
She took me to a place
secure from him, the vile Dark Knight,
and helped me heal from inside out.
She used her potent herbs to close the
wounds on my battered body.
Her words, soothing calm words,
worked their magic on my weary soul.
As time went by, Lillith the White Sorceress,
cured my body, healed my soul, and the
once eternal dark night came to a close
as life rose and lit through my dark tomb.
Her nimble hands bounded the Thousand Links
together again.
Her strong magic rebuilt my shield of friendship,
and again I was ready to do battle with he, the vile Dark Night.
The time had come to bid farewell to fair Lillith,
the good White Sorceress.
For many days, many nights,
I searched him out, to no avail.
His battle with me was done,
he lost, the victory was mine.
He, that vile Dark Night, receded
into the distant past.
Not until your great battle
did I see him and his ugly weapons again.
From here, high above the silvery clouds,
I watched as he, oh vile Dark Night,
met you on the battle field.
From here, in safety of this tower,
I watched as he, covered in slick
dark armor, made first pass at you.
His silvery tongue lashed out
insult after vile insult.
Only you, poor knight, did
not have the shield of friendship
to protect you like I.
Still standing, but severely weakened,
his final pass was furious and strong.
His weapon this time, as hideous as
the weapon that did me in, slashed
you down to the slippery ground.
I heard your cries of mercy.
I heard your whimpering pleas.
Again, he left you on the battle field,
as he left me so long ago, claiming
victory over your weak soul.
It was then, after he, vile Dark Knight,
had left the battle field,
as you were entering into the eternal
dark night, that I descended from
this tower, and took you from
the battle field.
I healed your wounds with potent
herbs, much like Lillith the White Sorceress
did for me.
And still, with body healed, your
soul remains in troubled sleep in
eternal dark night.
I spoke words of friendship, but
the dawn of life still remained far
over the horizon.
It was then, I realized, that the
magic she the good White Sorceress, used
on me was something I had not used on you.
Opening my heart, to the true power within,
I spoke those magical words in hope
of healing that troubled soul.
I praised the lord with joy,
when you stirred.
Now, each day passes,
my spell of healing grows
weaker, for you are almost healed.
Do you hear our common enemy?
Do you hear his rants and raves?
Are you ready to do battle again?
But first, before you go, you must
know what this spell of healing is.
For that is the legacy that she,
the good White Sorceress left to me.
The healing magic she used on me,
and I then used on you, is simple love.
Only love can heal the soul,
bring back the fire of life
to souls, like ours, trapped in eternal dark.
And yes, my poor night, I do
love you. For my love is so great
that together, we both can win
this war against he the vile Dark Knight.
B. K. Barley
Copyright 1995