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The Revenge of the Lord of Olney Moor
Upon a time, ere/'/ centuries past
Rose manor mighty- bode built to last;
blocks of granite hewn
by hand
Rose above the tarny land.
In misty days remembrance fade
Yet within these halls (these days) redress still bade,
one lord alone, last in line of family dead
Pondered glories, wealth surrendered to echoes tread.
The Manor/'/s lord gave life to thought
To sweet revenge planned he, conniving made,
With stern command to servants bade,
In redress life breathed to maliced hatch,
thence actions made, he thus dispatched.
Within cold walls of stone, ere/'/ midnights roam
lived deeds of past, of great renown,
Yet now in this modern age,
Within these flags of solid build
Silence reigns but for wind/'/s chill,
Once (oh, how it filled) did music rise,
did lutes so thrill!
Did Laughter ring on walls of gilt
draped in tapestry of finest silk,
Of Battles won did pennant/'/s fling
the clash of shields, swords did sing
Slashing, tearing, hear them ring?
On other walls covered thus
Depiction/'/s deeds held fields of blood
Whence knights passed in crimson flood
Beyond this life;
within their weave
Silken tales of mighty deeds.
In day/'/s of lore, of armoured suits
In age of alchemy and mandrake root
To this later time (memories now)
The current lord did lonely stroll
Now his manse a crumble, aged vexing hold
He mangled deep to stem the tide,
"How to gloss these ravages, I can/'/t abide!
And how came I, this Manse, once so fair
What brought my noble name to such despair?"
Neath candles flicker waning soft,
A list grew long of ink and quill,
born in cold and deathly ill.
"These descendants, all to blame,
they ride tails of wealth, all ill-gained!
Goblets now they drink that once were
mine, had war and fortune not declined
to leave my tarn and travel forth-
Their lips now drain vintage red,
by virtue of my line, now dead.”
Thus surmised, a plan did bear,
counting thus on Hedon/'/s draw,
Entice them would he to his maw.
"These pigs, these cads, these suckling scum,
With promised revels and wine they come!"
At his command and thence to steeds demand
Fast they rode into the night,
/'/neath misty moors ghastly palish lunar light;
On oaken doors of thickened age
Did menials offer with humble gaze
To Lords and ladies did summons grasp
Lavish parchment of great impress,
stealthy feet of menial tread
borne to nobles of select.
Well thought, this list, most specific drawn
revenge ignited in hatred/'/s dawn.
The lord awaited riders swift return,
Musing, stewing; a simmering bile
A fortnights turn to plan yet more
The fates of those to cross his door.
"For was it not, these gentry be,
noble by their forefather/'/s maliced deeds,
wrought upon my family arms
Bourne of greed and lust,
Evil/'/s spawn- imposter/'/s, acting richly thus;
not by effort or wit so keen,
vile treachery rewards of wealth, esteem,
They strut upon ancestor/'/s sin
A peasant/'/s death, most foul, for all of them!”
With hands a rub to ward the chill, his heart
pumped fast, made warm of thrill.
At last it comes, how scones shine!
The night is neigh, plans realized
With crowded great room
filled with song, he called out loudly,
vast and strong,
"Celebrate, revel, dance!" their host all smiles about them pranced,
From shadow to light; levity, beyond compare,
Guests of wealth and fame; land/'/s most fair
Strolled, imbibed they did to excess flair.
Master, ruler, estate the lord
He summoned, gathered his privileged horde-
within his heart, an evil host
(though hearty nestled in the most, deception ruled this, the perfect host)
In his mind of deep and dark despair
By guile, smiles, did he draw them there.
Earls and Counts, no more rare
than servants passage beyond wealth/'/s flare
treading light behind the walls
in narrow passage for biddings call.
Perceiveth they the state their Lord
Ill portents did they note the forge.
Wondereth they the night to bring,
What evil given voice to sing,
Drowning smiles afloat so free,
Guests blind purchase revelry
To fate waiting most ill portent drear,
Menials and Master only but aware,
The manor/'/s lord of well formed plan
Servant/'/s nerves laid bare to whispered fears.
With daggers rap to golden goblet,
above converse did clanging cling,
our descendant once of lineage strong
with wave of hand did silence minstrel/'/s song.
Eyes fastened on their generous host,
Ears attuned to words thus he spoke;
"Behold my Lords and Dames, my Counts, My Dukes,
My Earls, my guests of noble suit;
I, the lord of Olney Moor
Bid you welcome through my door. Venison, this morn run free
now wait upon your forks to feed.
Pheasant, late on English wind,
plated thus to take within;
plucked dismembered to your delight,
partake, partake this merry night!"
Cheers echoed from a hundred throats,
The treachery, theft and murder more-
aught but distant acts, ancestral past
nothing now (to them), just memories ghost, forgotten half.
Not so to Lord of Olney Moor, oh no! Not so, not so at all!
Slights fresh to him as snow/'/s virgin fall.
One more ring to goblet gleaming,
Silence, gazing, flushed faces gleaming
"My honoured, my treasured guests,
I offer now a gift beyond compare;
a vintage wine, exceeding rare.
First pressed by feet of French decent,
when English ruled the continent.
Stored many years for just this night
until such time as cork removed to our delight."
Thus saying pulled he from the floor, aged case
of darkened knurled bore
"Drink ye/'/, drink ye/'/!" bade the host,
"this nectar sweet, ancestral boast."
With palates whetted to extreme,
lust and greed, with upturned lips
to man and lady did they sip.
But the wily lord of Olney Moor,
Seemingly beyond reproach
did turn his back upon his guests and
fill his flagon to the most,
not with nectar of his gift,
but safer vintage for his lips.
Turning round, eyes a lit and smile bright,
continence projecting ever more delight,
whilst Lord and Lady to a tee
swallowed, gulping lustfully-
then one by one,
with hand to throat, of bulging eyes and guttural chokes
His earls, his ladies, dukes and counts,
dropped one by one to flagstone ground.
"Why", screamed some as truth dawned thus,
"Why, Lord Olney, have you poisoned us?"
In silence, no reply or less
One by one, death caressed
reaping in its ghastly chore,
till death claimed all, save one- a room of life no more-
a chamber strewn of scattered corpse common of voided stare
Lord Olney spake in spite to deadened ears,
"You Lords, you ladies, thieves of fame,
realize the ruin my family name
has suffered by ancestral hands,
where you lived
what you called home was once my land!
When maker meet, as soon you will,
curse forefathers deeds for actions ill.
But I, the last of Olney Moor, suffer not the shame-
I carry it no more, and so you lay in death/'/s grasp
sent thus by me, with pride, at last."
When all lay dead, reposed in pain,
swollen tongues and eyes of glazen frozen fear
Lord of Olney Moor regained
revenge to once his noble family name-
Deaths repose, warped and mocked
His coat of arms on shield reflected shined anew
/'/twixt pike and mace on granite walls
Revered once more to rightful place.
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