Where Once Walked Marsh

Where once walked marsh

For questing’s grail

Worldly weights hinged upon-

-Our unpropitious victory.  We could not fail

Complication unlaced her dress,

Prompting route to fork its trail

To the right, a hazed fog split us half,

Spawning a hash of Dilaudid canaille

To port, suspicion’s fever flared complicit,  

As rancor stirred in dubiety’s gale

Where once walked marsh,

Through vales unkempt

Sifted sway of silted limb

Marred by visions dreamt

The never ceasing eyes of foliage

Pry through vine and draw contempt

Stanchion’s fossils ivy-covered,

Memorialize winnowing’s failed attempt

All shapes of creatures never seen,

Swarm the fringes of the verdant kempt

So close, now to free, yet whispers echo from the brush,

Stating, “escape you may, but you’ll never be exempt.”

From what, is all most can muster

But linger long and the thought(s) will show

Where once walked marsh

Has since been shadowed by snow

So many years have now past,

I’ve forgot how to know

In a journey of thorns, some prick while others defend

And for what, a hero’s welcome home?

At first the honor was the dignity,

The seduction and the glow

Perhaps it’s just to make the days gone appear worthwhile,

So near the grail, instead of elation, concessionary eyes back-roll

Onsets of the beholden by,

Grandeur’s chains endured through pride

Footholds first, is oft it’s last

To survive the many cracks,

One must be swift of mind

And strong with staff

But even then, the ankles may snap

Insets appear-thought not of (yet)

(yet), once renewed is now remanded back

To hope to hunt for hope

A plague to the optimist

A battle scar for most others

Where once walked marsh infused with hope,

That path, is found to be, paved by the smoke of ghosts

Where once walked marsh in boyish tread

Now stands but one of hundreds dead

Here left to hold the treasure and bring it home

To pay homage to the man now seated in the throne

As memories sort the better part of days

I often wonder if they think much of those 1000 men

Once cheered as Gods as they left bay

I wonder if they think of much, all that was lost by us,

It’s been so long I doubt they do

But I’d like to think back and pretend they do to

To the ships set to sail in the harbor

The revelry and the returning promises

Seems like all that’s gets me forward

Is a pursuit to remember, “whend-we-go”

Claudia is hosting Open Link Night over at D'Verse tonight.  The doors open at 3:00pm, and seeing it's a 1/4 past right now, the doors, I would guess to already be open.  Check out the OLN, read a ton of amazing poetry.  Every week seems to outdo the week before, which is really saying a lot, because the very first week was great.  The number of poets submitting their work has dramatically increased, which means more poems to read and more experiences to be had.  Anyhow stop on by read some great poems and if you'd like submit one of your own, I'm sure they'd love to have you:)

For my offering this week, nothing experimental as I've been doing the past few weeks, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy it.  It's a journey piece, epic poem or whatever moniker you'd like to call it.  It's loosely inspired by The Odyssey as well as Norse Myth. Varying from typical myth I thought I'd forego the battle scenes, perhaps allude to them, but make this more of a mental piece, dealing with the emotions of the questers.