Lord Richard atte Valeye
(villanelle)
An eagle – double-headed – casting ‘round
Talons flexing and eager for the fray,
One head forward-looking, one scanning down.
A wary argent lion hears the sound
Of wings a-beat and spies the bird of prey:
An eagle – double-headed – casting ‘round.
Battle met; the eagle is brought to ground,
The bird springs skyward, barely flies away
One head forward-looking, one scanning down.
A wing’ed fighter, formerly tree-bound
Bedeviling in his apian way
An eagle – double-headed – casting ‘round.
The double-beak’ed bird snaps all around
But cannot bring the bee a-buzz to bay.
One head forward-looking, one scanning down.
In mighty combat the eagle was downed.
Lord Richard did not win a crown this day:
An eagle – double-headed – casting 'round
One head forward-looking, one scanning down.
-- Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler
...weaver of words and wadmal
