Poem: The Love of the Lady

The Love of the Lady
by M Ray Holloway, Jr

The Lady waits in her tower
built on hopes and dreams
for her knight to come and rescue
from the want of love, it seems,
and by her side the Jester sits
to hold her gentle hand.
    The Lady chose her warrior
    from a host of kingdom's best,
    yet the knight has grown complacent,
    having won his lady's test,
    and the Jester waits in silence
    for the Lady's least command.
Then the kingdom shakes with roaring
for the dragon wakes again,
and his wisest choice: the Lady
for the princess of his den,
and the stirrings of the Jester
go unheeded once again.
    And the knight prepares his horse
    As he perceives this stirring up,
    not for battle, but to flee the din,
    like a frightened, troubled pup;
    and the Jester wonders who will save
    the Lady of the land?
Soon the dragon in the doorway
seeks to meet his frailest prey,
and to come away unchallenged
as the victor of the fray,
but the Jester steps between the two
with his fate so near at hand....
    For the dragon forces fire
    to destroy the Lady's clown.
    and with one brief glimpse that speaks of love,
    the Jester is cut down,
    and the Lady sits in silence stunned
    by the courage death has banned.
The beast then sees the love that drove
the Jester to defeat
was never known by Lady Fair;
and then begins to weep.
He lumbers off to Dragon's lair
to mourn a mortal man.
    The lady sits in her tower,
    confused and still alone.
    Her knight has left, her Jester dead,
    the Dragon has gone home,
    and still the lady wonders 'bout
    the One who never ran.