Gold

Mystery, aura, the glint of gold
a bloody tale follows this metal of old. 
In lamplight, shrouded women told
to men their paths yet to unfold.

Her trinkets dangle, yoddling of a conquest
make haste, she said with hearty zest.
At the end, at your crest
you'll stumble upon a golden chest.
Beware of strangers, which soldiers be
in wits and strength he matches thee.
None before enemy shall flee,
yet whose treachery reigns we shall see. 
An ill fated trio this will be.

With such a fate the humble left,
to himself his secrets he kept. 
He met a king, in the woods who wept
a general behind who quietly crept.
"Why o' grace, hold your tears.
Lessen thy burden; pour thy sorrow in my ears."
"These tears are shed, for princess, my daughter dear
Not for me but for her I fear. 
Travelling towards our castle beyond,
waylaid we were at the helm of dawn.
They came on steed a hundred strong,
All loyal slain, all coward gone." 
"Wanderer, woodsman, a hunter I be,
Your tale, in hoofed branches and leaves I see.
In this quest, I will help thee.
At your word, humble me. "

Through the woods, three fated went
knotted pine, a river bent.
Through hail and wind, heaven sent
Cackling demons, thundering went.
In sight came a guarded knoll,
hunter approached, cat's crawl.
Amid dark shadows, he saw light,
the princess chained n bloody, black and white.

They laid a trap the valiant three, 
the hunter disguised cut her bonds, set her free. 
Upon stolen steeds they did flee,
The general alone, could foreboding see.

A wedding , to which the king did readily agree,
made the hunter, king to be. 
The princess dancing merrily, 
while the general sat in glee,
Allayed his fate, was hunter's to be. 

In blue blood, ambition is sown 
love and hatred, in a girls mind were grown,
until one won and overthrew the throne.
The king turned cold in his death,
they said it was poison on his last breath,
his general alone, truly wept.
Upon hunter's head the king's crown shone, 
but the ruler was the Queen, she made it known. 
All serenity, with the king's soul had flown, 
the kingdom, unkown to subjects, in peril was thrown.

The queen took to philandering ways, 
while the hunter was drunk in kingly sways. 
Despite her liaisons, there was no heir,
barren, lifeless had become her lair. 
Led by rumor, charmed by ale, the hunter wallowed in despair,
raving, raging he reached his crest,
stumbled to death when his skull smashed the edge of a golden chest.

The queen now lay in diseased pain, 
the few who loved her, she herself had slain, 
Riches and power, all pleasures in vain,
in the end, only death did she gain. 

As for myself, now old and frail 
I was the general in this tale.

 (c)Meharaj 2009