The Castle Ruins
Not a whole lot to say about this one. It was for last November’s Poem a Day challenge, and the prompt was “Once Upon a Time.” Enjoy.
The Castle Ruins
Originally written November 1, 2019
The castle was in ruins. All the gold
Was stripped off of the statues. Once-jeweled eyes
Gazed emptily at rooms now filled with mold.
The wind, through broken windows, whispered sighs
Of memories: arched halls and tapestries,
And teeming halls of damsels and knights brave—
But wicked kings will do just as they please,
And marry off their daughters to cruel knaves
Who earn their power off the broken backs
Of peasants who just want their daily bread—
All fodder when an enemy attacks,
Or else enslaved, and wishing they were dead—
Until the land is plundered, in dire straits,
And left with sightless eyes to pray and wait.