by Giancarlo N. H. Gonzaga

A god-king must be both god and king,
Lest he be just a dream

Thy skies are dim, thy folk are thin, thy smiles are grim,
Both out and within
Thy beams demean, echoed screams redeem,
Thy crown so feebly gleams
Cobbled, concealed, chalice of zeal
Thy scuttled keel, gods’ peals ordeal,
Kneel did thy steel aiguille
Thy halls are swept of vittle and veal,
Riven by the wheel

Thy empty halls, long cold ere fall, echo deathly knells,
Of frozen bells whence thy empire fell
Memories of fall, are shared by all, save thee withal,
Silent in thy hall
As battles raged, as fires blazed, as cities razed,
Glazed, thy eyes remained
Thy banners torn, thy soul forlorn,
Thy armor lies scarcely worn
Much in vain, thy studies arcane,
As thy kingdom waned
Even thy child, so merely grazed,
Now lies deathly fazed
So cold, so long, so piercing his gaze,
As he yearns the grave

The moon doth watch, with no delight, thy fateful flights,
Out of hopeful sight
And now the wight of the maimed knight, comes so bright in darkest night,
To shine a light, upon the plight, of thy forgone might

“The ichor of lightning courseth through thy veins, yet thy heart lies cleft in twain
Bleeding in eternity, for none to see, save ill-fated posterity
Sire, ‘sire’ denominate, thy desire inveterate,
Dost thou cling intemperate in thy Stygian mire to date?
Now bound in place, with seven staves, by ungrateful knaves, yet whom to blame?
For glory and shame, hand in wain, I declare thy name!

Dance, dance, with thy silver lance, power, poise at glance,
Yet each and every happenstance, all it does is glance!
Inept and regret, when demons come, to scour all the land!
Call me jester, call me fool, once knighted, yet ever a tool,
I only pray each day, that someday my words hold sway!

Such nerve have I, to speak thy name, to clasp thee in mental chains,
Such verve have I, to speak thy truth, to have thee have me slain,
Yet thou cannot, and I cannot, for thou and I are one and the same!
I am thy mind, I bear thy name, but can thou say the same?
Dear me, god and king, can thou truly stay the same?”

Remember not, yet resent not,
The spirits of the slain
Arise, o king, arise in flame,
The world is yours to gain!