THE BARDS TALE

Crept in did he aside the fire, where all was still and warmth aspire?
To tell a tale for eyes and ears, for merriment to still all fears!
Began the count from one to five and bring all hearts and minds alive.

The soul he walked from here to there upon a golden thread of hair
And as he walked he spied a tree and pondered forth on what it be?
For many paths appeared forlorn, with no holds barred and foot forsworn.
“Ah me! Ah my!” expressed his mood, of thirst astray and rotting food.
“Tis time indeed to stretch the mind to look inside, a nugget find?!”
So by the fire the Bard he sat, he thought of this he thought of that!
He stretched his legs arranged his hat
And rapped his cloak around all that.

The full moon rose as dark abide, the rat and bat began their ride
And land they did upon the hill, oh me oh my, a bitter pill!
“What food is yours old rat you fiend, as rubbish root in peoples binned?”
Enquired the bat with eyes like cat, as rat he roamed around for fat.
“To one whose bed is upside down, what point is there to hang around?”
Replied the rat with rubbish bound as rotting apples, binned, is found.
“A bed ah yes is better laid than sewer dump and fowl stench glade!”
“Dark is the same whether blood or gut!
For in it hid, is living cut!”

So feast they did upon the night and all who walked in such a fright,
As hurry home to safer plight, the unsuspecting meal delight.
The Bard he turned to stoke the flame and sip from goblet stout and tame
And eat from bread so kindly gave, from round house cheap all strong and brave.
He laughed a little, stirred and sighed for this was where his light abide,
Between the ages of lost time, hidden in a page of rhyme.
To earn a crust and pass this way,
To call to those who go astray,
Reminding all of darkest call,
Waiting still for one and all!

“Thus so!” Said he about the tree, the tree it did surroundeth he
But on what branch did perch the Bard to read his jolly Christmas card!
Snow did call and leaves did fall as mysteries surround them all.
Who shall we say did see that night to leave them with a hurried fright?
To lock the doors away from harm and hear the owl hoot in the barn.
To check on baby in the bed with cheeks a glow and belly fed.
To settle down in husbands arms and feel secure, away from harm.
To wish for happy days return, as north wind howl and fire burn.

Now Bard had travelled round and round and this he did without a sound.
And no one knew from whence he came, to recount such a strange refrain?
Yet none the less he came in deed, the people's hearts and minds to feed!
And warn them of impending doom, which circled all around the room!
The Bard climbed higher up the tree his footsteps nimble, full of glee
Until he stumbled naturally and wound up he beneath the tree
Where broken branch and dead things lay, a place no doubt to kneel and pray!

The Bard he sat a while to ponder, of new horizons up there yonder.
So took he stone from boot leg thin, his journey forward to begin
And walk he did amongst the dead, all things withered all things fed.
“Surely there be light a new?!” He whistled loud in grey lit hue.
Dust a plenty, ashes too, sinking sand and people few.

“Might I find a friend at last to colour grey and heal the past?”
But none there were to mend his way, none to pass the time of day.
So wonder on alone did he, passed ages of an oil filled sea,
Passed bats and rats and devils deep,
Passed wolves and crocks and Satan’s' keep.
Until into a troubled sleep, he woke beyond the planets throng
And found he in a whispered song.

He followed sound with life and limb,
Through quiet hollow small and dim
And there beyond the great divide, did Bard find peace to turn the tide?
Returned he then to deaths dark fallow to speak of the joy to come after sorrow.
His great cloak fluttered as he stretched his legs
And fire did spit where he threw his dregs.
His broad rimmed hat it hid his eyes
From cocks that crow and wanton spies.

He listened well to friend out doors,
Dark with wings that spanned the moors.
“Tis time I left!” Exclaimed he thus, to all sat listening in the dust.
“Please don't go!” Cried those sincere, whose lives all seemed so full of fear.
“Stay a while and company keep, here you'll find a place to sleep.”
“To sleep you say upon the hay and waken not upon the May?!”
“No, no!” Cried he. “This cannot be, a lass she waits to marry me!”
And dark it fades to light indeed as all abide in colours creed.
“Just one more tale before the morn or else you leave with us forlorn!”
So Bard returned to fire side glow
And sat by hearth, a seed to sow.

“One more tale to thee I'll tell, to put things right, to leave things well
And as I go to green fields yonder, I leave a thought for you to ponder?
”Strangers come and strangers go and time it passes two and fro
And all of us must walk our path until we find true peace at last.
Yet what we leave as mist doth rise, does mark us all are own demise!
What we eat we then digest and with our lot we do our best,
To pass this on, to feed another, wisdom blessed there is no other.
For hatred sown is doom in deed, for bats and rats who like to feed!
And those who suffer pay the price, for evil seed and cold demise.
Caution then as strangers near and for all time show thee no fear.
Yet kindness pay to those who lack,
As we kneel and pray they don't come back!

Pastures new and horizons wide and heavens guide be at your side.
So with this blessing do I depart but keep thee forever, in my heart
And think of you as tree I climb
To find the branch I can call mine.
And yet, who knows, our paths may meet, as upon the road we greet
And tell the tales of long years passed, happy are we and glad at last
That all things bad have finally passed.”
The Bard he hugged each living soul and left them with a coin of gold.
Thanked them all for time recanted. "I must be off!" He panted.

Well all were left in disarray, never had they been this way!
As quick as appeared he soon was gone and all were left without a song.
Yet soon all returned to what was doing, floors to be scrubbed and mothers ruin.
“Get out your fiddle and play us a tune!” Cried the landlord’s brother.
“I'll afford you a boon!”
So they sang and they drank till day became night
And they walked home together so's not to affright.
They carried each other to bed made of hay
And cleaned up the mess they made on the way.

Long are the days that have passed into yore;
Far is the yearning for more, more and more.
They hope and they pray that the Bard will return
And tell them a tale while the log fires burn.
And once came a knock at the door while sat waiting.
“Could it be he?” They all sat debating.
As door went unanswered through the hope and the fear,
They missed him completely oh deary me dear!

The Bard he stood knocking and wondered how come,
The people ignored him and he was struck dumb.
Thus he left them alone to work out for themselves,
“Who's at the door? Must be them Elves?!”
“No not the elves for they left long ago,
Just like the stranger we all thought we knew.”

So here is the thing of these words writ in rhyme.
They tell of our sorrows they tell of the time.
They tell of the light that fades into night,
They tell of the things that do give us a fright!
Yet they also bring hope and a slight sense of joy,
That the Bard has been here, oh my god and oh boy!
Here in this time all alone we thought us,
We better be quick of the mark or, or else!
Miss him shall we, if we don't let him in
And this tale he has told,
We can chuck in the
Bin.

THE BARD