UPON A BARREN CLIFF TOP

Upon a barren cliff top
High above the sands,
In brooding isolation
A crumbling fortress stands.
Once upon a way back when
In a time of dukes and kings,
A tragedy unfolded
Of which no minstrel sings.

A little king, a little man
Was he who ruled this land,
Yet mighty were the evil deeds
Enacted by his hand.
The young wife of a rival
Caught his roving eye
In pennence of his lust for her
The innocent would die.

He sent his men to take her
To wrest her from her lord,
When her people fought for her
They fell 'neath axe and sword.
He feared no retribution
Safe behind his walls
Yet through misplaced arrogance
A tyrant often falls.

All the other kingdoms
Rose up then as one,
They'd put aside their differences
To avenge what he had done.
A righteous army gathered
But could not breach his gate,
When he swore to ne'er come out
They settled down to wait.

Through Summer into Autumn
The siege was kept in place
The little king refused to bow
Nor himself abase.
As Winter settled on his walls
In pride he took his life,
In a final act of treachery
He killed his rival's wife.

His warriors surrendered
They opened up the gate,
All of them were slaughtered
In savage, vengeful hate.
To the victors went the spoils
His kingdom was no more,
A fragment of a larger realm
A barren, lifeless shore.

Upon that barren cliff top
High above the sands,
In brooding isolation
A crumbling fortress stands.

COPYRIGHT D M PAMMENT 2009