Poetry of Girard Dessins--Page6





Kozmanda

I.

A long time ago,
in the once-fabled land of Kozmanda,
a land we today do not know,
now vanished, like Shangri-La,

at the beginning of the long and prosperous reign
of Good King Carolus the First, the Just; he,
who after his father's death, did four long years the crown abstain,
until he'd driven the invading Asian horde beyond the sea;

occurred a long-after told tale
of humanity, of love and chivalry,
which all did with honor hail.
and which Fate turned to Majesty!

The young king, secretly, alone and in disguise,
traveled at times throughout his land
that he might better see, through his own eyes,
his subjects' lives and conditions, to better understand.

On one such foray, when all the flowers were in bloom,
in a far corner of the realm, framed by majestic mountain peaks,
by a lake the young king paused, as weariness did loom,
there to rest and partake the harmony nature e'er speaks,

when a brigand's arrow hit him in the back!
Felled, but not dead, he drew his sword to wait,
and when the three brigands appeared, was up and pressed his attack!
Though wounded, a great warrior was he, and all three met their fate!

Sorely wounded, and with arrow still in his back,
he, faint in his saddle, at a country estate appeared,
and begged the young lady there, rest and help to dress the wound in his back,
after he'd pulled the arrow and the wound with hot iron seared!

The Lady, the recently orphaned young Constance Waldersee,
fairest young maiden in the entire countryside,
was even then prepariing to flee
from her uncle and the man heĠd give her to as bride,

but could not turn down one in such need,
so attended his wounds and put him to bed.
For four days she stood vigil and did him feed,
until came, her uncle and the man she was to wed.

II.

He, who'd kept his identity hid, was awakened by argument below ensued,
and o'erheard that Constance had sent appeal to the king,
that she refused marriage until the king it reviewed,
for t'was her's by right of royal promise to become ward of the king;

that after her father saved the king's life at Kanaly,
the king had given him his very own ring,
in token of his promise to care for him or his family
if ever need arose, or if could be of service, the king!

He heard Constance declare loathing for her uncle's friend,
no matter how much gold he'd to her uncle paid,
and declared sheĠd neĠer her knee to him in marriage bend,
and more, could ne'er marry, by law, until the king so bade!

Argument failed, and her uncle set to drag her off by force,
but just then appeared the king, with sword in hand,
and cried: "Hold! I command! I am the king--to your horse!
This lady is my ward! Be gone--I command!"

Laughing and calling him mad, they drew swords and set upon him,
uncle, friend, and two-men-at-arms,
but soon knew they were with sword no match for him,
for lay dead prospective bridegroom and two men-at-arms!

Her uncle broke and fled,
vowing with more men to return!
After Constance rebound his wound, which again bled,
the king bade them leave, in turn.

The king thought to know this angel of mercy better,
this fairest maiden whoĠd so risked her own safety
to stay and care for him, a stranger, until he was stronger;
this courageous lady who'd asked no help in defense of her own safety!

Avoiding the roads, they toward the capital rode,
and she, though also thinking him mad or delerious,
went with her gallant protector, with no forbode,
for he was handsome, kind, and e'er so chivalrous!

The king laughed, and told her that at the capital she would see
that he was in truth, as he said, the king;
whereupon replied, beautiful young Constance Waldersee,
that even though he was mad, he'd ever be her friend, and HER king!

Owing to his wound and weakness, travel was slow,
and he avoided the well-traveled roads and pursuit,
giving him time, her much better to know;
time for the king to determine his desire to pay her suit!

Twelve days later, when thy topped a crest
and saw below them, the walled capital sprawled,
and the royal palace which had been their quest,
Constance, a halt to their travel called,

claiming fatigue and desire to rest.
That night she pleaded with the king, not to enter
the city with her, for fear of his arrest,
fearing her uncle had made charges of his impostiture!

The king restated his identity, and his lack of fear,
and that he would escort her to his palace in the morning.
She begged him, as one who was to her dear,
but he dismissed her groundless fears for the dawning!

III.

Love has it's foolish counsels, and way,
and so it did in young Constance's mind,
for she was up and gone long before the break of day,
and the king, when later he awoke, set out, her to find.

Alas, Constance had gained admission to the palace
to find her uncle with the Chamberlain,
professing charges of high treason and murder with malice
against her and her gallant young friend!

After hearing her story and seeing her ring,
the Lord Chamberlain vowed that all must wait
upon the return and hearing of the king,
who alone would decide their fate!

Just then, trumpets sounded from the city gate!
"Ah, the king returns!", said the Chamberlain.
"I must attend the king--here you will wait! ",
and, leaving guards, left, the Chamberlain.

IV.

Within the hour, the Chamberlain returned, and said:
"My Lady's long-standing claim of right, as ward of the king,
is confirmed by His Majesty; consequently, no charges may be plead
against her person or property by anyone other than the king!"

"My Lady, His Majesty commands your attendance in the audience hall,
and I am to personally escort your Ladyship there!
Your uncle will remain under guard in this hall,
awaiting His Majesty's decision in this affair!"

V.

As they entered the vast audience hall.
the palace guards left and closed the doors,
and was heard only these two's footsteps fall
upon the long polished marble floors.

As they approached the dias and throne of the king,
and knelt and bowed before him there,
was obscured, the face of the king,
who rested his brow upon forearm and hand, in care.

"Rise!", the king said.
"My Lady, tell us of this friend of yours,
of the charges now against him plead,
and of your faith in him, which so endures."

"Your Majesty", began Constance, "I thank you from my heart
for your kindness to me, and for honoring your promise
unto my dear father. I would speak for the man who now holds my heart,
for he is good, and there is in him no evil or foulness!

He is accused, who was wounded, yet made my defense his task,
believing in Your Majesty's honor, and hence, my claim of right;
he, who then risked his life and nothing in return did ask
but that be upheld, Your Majesty's law, and right;

If he, in delerium, claimed the king to be,
t'was in fevered assertion of Your Majesty's right,
and to prevent my uncle from forcibly abducting me,
after he'd prevented my appeal from reaching your sight!

No greater love hath any man than this,
that he risk his life for the rights of a stranger,
and where there is such love, cannot exist
evil or crime, or any dishonor!

I have come to know him, and hold him dear,
and upon his innocence and goodness, I now stake my life--
with no lesser surety may I endear
him, who for Your Majesty and me, risked his life!"

After a moment's silence, the king asked:
"My Lady, if I commanded, would you marry ME???"
"Your Majesty", Lady Constance gasped!
"I am honored, but as I love another, that cannot be!"

"You would turn down being queen, for love of this man???",
the king asked solemnly.
Constance replied, "I must, Your Majesty, for I can
only truthful, and true to my heart, be!"

"I beg My Lady to reconsider", said the king,
as he raised his head and smiled,
and Constance gasped, and did, for balance to the Chamberlain cling,
as she, her wits gathered and compiled!

"I do not command, My Lady, I beg, I ask,
if you would honor me, and become my wife and queen,
and make my heart and my people your life's task,
and give me as fine heirs as this throne's ever seen?"

"Oh, Sire", Constance exclaimed, "you ARE the king, as you told me--
oh, forgive me, my not having believed you!
Yes, Majesty, with all my heart, I'll marry you, if you'll have Me--
I'm not worthy of you!"

"Dear Constance, you know not your beauty or your worth--
you are a gift to me from merciful God above,
for the equal of you is not found on this earth,
and I promise I will forever thee love!"

"Chamberlain! Her uncle is exiled for high treason,
and make proclamation, Constance will become my Queen,
at the end of this Spring season,
in a wedding such as has ne'er before been seen!"

"My warmest congratulations, Your Majesty,
and Lady Constance", the Chamberlain said,
"soon to be, Your Majesties",
and then turned and joyously fled,

leaving the king and his queen-to-be,
together, alone, in their joy and reverie,
to begin writing their great life's story,
of which this tale is but a tiny offertory!



Plastic Bottles

Most children today must look up to a plastic bottle
for their suckle, instead of mother's loving breast--
how artificiality does today, life throttle;
how we do maim the tenderness with which we've been blessed!

How we do, years later, pretend such startle,
when we've failed parental relationship confessed,
when instead of us, children pursue society's other plastic bottles;
we, who deceive ourselves that every thing is separate, independent from the rest!



How Doth An Old Man Dream?

How doth an old man dream of idyllic day,
cradled in thy fabled, perfumed lands,
to bask in thy beauty there, as he lay,
savoring the succulent fruit close to his hands?

How doth an old man dream of the sweet maiden
caressing him while he doth drink
nectar from her pears she's kept hidden,
and ambrosia from her fabled fountain of youth's sink?

How doth an old man dream of entering, reverently,
the balmy, pulsing, fabled fountain
where man's heart may be rejuvenated ecstatically
by the power of love, below mons veneris' mountain?

How doth an old fool dream of such reverie and ecstasy?
He dreameth from th'extremity of a collapsing heart, whose life-blood,
love, has been taken away; but he dreameth only fantasy,
for to winter, women may come for gold, but ne'er love's tender bud!



Casuistry

When casuistry's become the highest art,
the most desireable ability to possess,
is come, the age of evil heart,
when men do Babylon the Great profess!


Visions Back

I see visions, modern man's ne'er seen,
of the virgin earth, innocent and pure, in her youth;
of her many faces of fresh beauty, that have been,
as she expressed Creation's joys and truth!

I hear sounds and symphoniews, modern man's ne'er heard,
from the natural strains playedin Quiet's hall,
to sounds of species of life now gone, flown away as a bird,
as Nature entertained at the Maker's Ball!

I smell heady airs, modern man's ne'er known,
fragrances of such pristine freshness and purity,
and sweetest perfumes, by Nature grown,
bringing my senses to the brink of reverie!

I taste nectarous sweetness unimagined
and ripe liquers ne'er brewed,
free gifts Nature once provended
before man and pollution's intrude!

I see a beautiful young maiden there,
naked, resplendently clothed in innocence and purity,
with radiant smile, and flowers in her hair,
simply rejoicing in Creation's majesty!

I sense, I feel, and know a peace,
an innocence, a purity, an o'erwhelming harmony,
which once was, and which does now my soul release,
free from man's cares and chains, into this garden of ecstasy!

Alas, 'tis but a fleeting look
at the paradise which had once been,
a page from God's great book
which we lost because of our sin!



Water Nymphs

Joyous little water nymphs,
unseen cavorting in the fountain,
creating artistic triumphs,
you strangely teach me, of what in life's certain--

the joy's in the living, in the creation,
in the moment which is life,
not in our incessant struggle to freeze it's retention,
not in our incessant greedy strife!

Life is dynamic, fluid change--
to try to make it unchanging, permanent,
to try, it's inherent quality to rearrange,
rather than let it be, than live it, yields the seed of discontent!

To live life, we must let it lead,
cease trying to make unchanging, our impermanence!
We must let our desire for mastery recede,
let go and be free, to discover why life merits reverence!



The Brook and Me

Beside the gently flowing brook,
for which I many a childhood day forsook,
I walk as if seeing anew,
and am grateful for how it did expand my view,

teaching me understanding of so much of life,
through it's microcosm of existence and strife.
Now that I am growing old,
I marvel at all it so wisely told
to a young lad with the patience to see
in it, Nature's principles and mystery!

Yea, and I marvel even more
that it can now open time, and my youth restore
as I am beside it again,
as we together, time disdain!



Sweet Lenore

Sweet Lenore, dearest Lenore,
I have loved thee with all my heart and soul;
now the angels may thee adore,
whilst I must abide my mortal gaol!



Speak, O Muse

Speak, O Muse,
of tumults and conflagrations past,
of ships men sail upon the oceans vast,
and of vanity and greed, which eĠer men use!

Speak, O Muse,
of those things which eĠer call unto men,
which call them away from what might have been,
which cause them, Promises to refuse!

Speak, O Muse,
what flowers may from the blood-soaked plains grow;
speak of the seeds which men might instead sow;
speak to we deaf, of life's renews!

Speak, O Muse,
in a gentler voice
of love's tender choice;
of humanity's better brews!

Speak, O Muse,
of those things beyond our ken,
to we, who know not e'en where we've been,
that one day we may rightly choose!



Lady Elsinore

One hears no more, of Elsinore,
that fair Lady, with burnished golden locks,
who's beauty was so fabled of yore,
or of her great love, which time yet unlocks.

No more are heard, the sweet lays
of this gentle lady's journey to France,
to ransom her husband, in war's misfortunate days,
from the fate of the fallen in battle's capricious dance..

Forgotten, and hence dishonored, are her immortal words
of love, in plea for her husband's life,
made to the French king and his assembled lords,
and her offer of herself in exchange of his life.

Only's recorded, the king's amazement
as this gentle lady let fall her cloak
to reveal the naked truth of her proferrment,
the truth of the words she spoke.

Only remains, in forgotten, dusty tome,
the words this king uttered that day,
before all assembled beneath the hushed dome,
as he fell to his knee before her, to say:

"Don thy cloak, Gracious Lady, whom Heaven
has clothed in such Love, Devotion, and Honor,
as is not found amongst we mere mortal heathen--
thy husband's life and freedom are thine, whom France now doth honor!"



THE WAR IS COME

'Tis war come, in all it's reality!
Gone, 'midst horror, pain and death,
naive romantic dreams of honor and glory,
blown away by the winds of escaping breath!

Screams of the dying and maimed
greet the fetid odors of fear and decay,
for those who've not yet, their honor claimed,
on this carelessly sought, common day!

The war is come, in all it's reality,
in this oldest game of man's display,
to the tunes of primal vanity--
is come to reclaim from life, the clay!



Garden Gate

Left the Garden Gate, and ne'er looked back,
nor the children, who e'en interest lack!

Hast e'er seen or heard e'en one for Abel weep?
How then woulds't Abel's children keep?

Who, for the Library of Alexandria's wept?
Nay, they'd far rather have slept!

How few for Jesus wept,
or His vigil kept?

Who grieves for those who before th'Inquisition fell?
The silence rings loud and clear as a bell!

Hast seen any, who were not themselves touched by the Holocaust,
weep for the victims, so cruelly lost?

Hast even seen Hamlet's conscience, faked?
What has Man of this life maked?

Left the Garden Gate, and ne'er looked back,
nor the children, who e'en interest lack!



(Untitled)

In that soft twilight between awake and asleep,
where gentle shades sometimes come to us from spirit's keep,
we, like little children, marvel at and enjoy, the fantastique!



(Untitled)

I'm sure society is correct,
there are medicines good for despair,
but I do strongly suspect
I'd rather a bartender than a doctor, it prepare!



(Untitled)

The breeze lays gently across the sands,
as the silence of the desert night moves;
as, in the stillness, ethereal, timeless hands,
the restrictions of day, and of man, remove!



(Untitled)

A coward dies many a death,
while a brave man dies but one;
but to a wise man, every breath's lingering death,
until this mortal gaol be done!



(Untitled)

Society made prisons for the insane
to confine prophets and those who'd complain of this world and the ways of the profane,
for men will ne'er tolerate questions of where they've lain!