NET DRAMA: A POEMZ

NET DRAMA by elgar 2006

Upon this very spot they duelled
those conjurers of ancient lore
Grand Aethelsten the eye of ten
and Raeduwulf who went before
and still this place at times resounds
with sounds of cracking thunder claps
and eerie incantations sleep
amongst the wheeling horseshoe bats

The first to put his skills to test
was Aethelsten the eye of ten
a sorcerer of note renowned
for serving courts of sixteen crowns
attired in robes of fur and silk
in deepest blue as dark as ink
he turned unto the crowd and smiled
then gave the throng a knowing wink

Upon this very spot he stopped
and stooped then scooped a palm of dirt
and scattered just like sewing seed
the crumbs of earth upon the ground
and from the places where it fell
the droughty earth did quake and cleave
and bursting forth from earth to sky
appeared a wall of willow trees

“Behold my powers doubters here
and recognize my magic’s strength
the greatest sorcerer of all
Grand Aethelesten the eye of ten!”

And from the crowd there stepped a man
as steeped in wizardry as stones
that rise above the barrows hewn
from long dead giant's shoulder bones
old Raeduwulf of woodland kin
who bore a staff of mother oak
a sorcerer of ancient birth
and champion of Northern folk

“Your skills are fabled Aethelsten
a most impressive spell indeed
but I can summon forces here
to break your wall of bark and leaf”

And then with incantations spat
and lost across a hundred tongues
he charmed a nearby mouse to rest
and at the rodent magic flung
and where there once had been a mouse
there stood a huge and wrathful beast
that tore and slashed with tooth and claw
and broke the wall with fearful ease

“My skills have won the day” he cried
now bow before my mastery
my sorcery cannot be matched
with feeble spells and trickery”

Upon this very spot just then
Grand Aethelsten the eye of ten
bellowed loud and waved his fists
invoking waves of choking mists
that swirled and danced in craz-ed rings
and bound his foe in ether chains
and then the beast of foreign name
was banished back from whence it came

“Not quite as picturesque as trees
but far more telling you'll agree
so now accede you foolish man
and I'll release my magic bands”

And with a twitch of both his thumbs
old Raeduwulf cast off his bonds
and raised his magic staff aloft
and stirred the clouds into a froth
and from above appeared a bird
with talons big as stable doors
who swooped upon Grand Aetheslten
and up into the heavens bore

“Good riddance” cried old Raeduwulf
his foe a speck upon the sky
“Let's see you break my raptor's grip
or should I say let's see you 'try'

But then just as he claimed his win
saluting all to much acclaim
the wing road tore and filled with blood
then spawned a snake of smoke and flame
upon which rode Grand Aethelsten
in chariot of magic name
drawn by wolves that howled and snarled
by incantation heeled and tamed

“Your eagle's will might hold a man
with lesser games than mine to play
it seems our skills are matched so well
that none shall win this duel today”

Upon this very spot they sat
and took repose upon the ground
and spoke in tongues as old as rain
as others watched from all around
of places lost and favour won
in days where mist had grimly clung
about the earth in yester-times
on lake and glen when man was young

And so they set their ills aside
dispatched their vanities to rust
like punctured helms of fallen men
on fields stained red by battle lust
and so resolved to likened whim
Grand Aethelsten the eye of ten
and Raeduwulf who went before
laid their staffs upon the floor

'tis best to bend the boughs with fruit
and fill our plates with nature's spoils
to bind the furrowed soil with root
and ease the peoples daily toils
than fight a war that can't be won
against a foe whose mirrored gaze
is not much different than the son's
whom by your mother once was raised