Felipe de Trujillo ~ fought in Spring Crown Crucible, A.S. XLVIII

Felipe de Trujillo

fought in Spring Crown Crucible, A.S. XLVIII

(Cantar)

The sun beat down on the fighters

Who met on the Crucible field.

Felipe was among their number

Intent upon making all yield.

He faced off against his foemen

Round robin with duke, knight and lord.

Eight fighters clashed in the combat;

All but two were left on the sward.

Fighting was fierce in the eric

Of battle, Felipe saw his share.

The Crucible tested his mettle

The strength of his spirit is clear.

—Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

... is a 15th century Burgundian wool merchant who thinks she's a 10th century Viking weaver.

 Spring '14

Baron Rudolf Fekter ~ fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XLVIII

Baron Rudolf Fekter

fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XLVIII

(pantoum)

A butterfly, with heart of iron,

Honoring his lady fair,

Sallies forth to face a lion,

Resting in his oaken lair.

Honoring his lady fair,

Butterfly and feline play.

Wrested from his oaken lair,

Golden lion wins the fray.

Butterfly and feline play;

Airy fighter batted down;

Golden lion wins the fray.

Iron heart still seeks a crown.

Airy fighter batted down;

Shakes his wings and takes the sky.

Iron heart still seeks a crown;

Spies a dragon from on high.

Shakes his wings and takes the sky,

Mighty creature forged in fire!

Spies a dragon from on high:

Wing to wing, he does aspire.

Mighty creature forged in fire

Meets a fitting end, I’d say.

Wing to wing he did expire

A fiery finish to his day.

Meets a fitting end, I say!

Sallied forth to face a lion.

A fiery finish to his day,

This butterfly with heart of iron.

— Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler

... weaver of words and wadmal

Fall '13

Baron Christian de Guerre ~ fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XLVIII

Baron Christian de Guerre

fallen in Fall Crown Tourney, A.S. XLVIII

(englynion penfyr)

When Christian puts on his blue-shade shoes

True warriors take a stance

And join him in the danse.

When Christian puts on his blue-shade shoes

Assured a battle intense

With griffin whose talons flense.

When Christian puts on his blue-shade shoes

Taylor-made his next fierce foe

Christian is brought to woe.

When Christian puts on his blue-shade shoes

Laid low his dreams for Ismay.

A wreath for his lady some day.

— Pippin Skylark

... always tart and crisp
Fall '13

Sir Mons von Goarshausen

The Warrior's Reel
(Celtic Buried Rhyme)


A worthy ritter of the Rhine
And lady fine came to Caid.
In battle dance his sword to test
Against the best, as was decreed.

The first to pace him on the field
With sword and shield was Thorbjorn.
The doughty Horseman did not rest
Sir Mons to best, but left forlorn.

A good beginning for the knight
To show his might in martial play
For kingdom crown--if he's the one--
A regal son at end of day.

The ritter partnered Sir Kjartan,
The better man to be revealed.
In fierce combat the warriors clashed.
Alack, alas! Mons quit the field.

Sir Mons was down, but not yet out;
He strove to clout another foe.
Duke Sven--the once and future prince--
Caused Mons to wince.  A mighty blow.

The fighter's danse macabre is done
For good Sir Mons.  Some tourney day
He'll dance again--just give the word!
When lofty hurdy-gurdies play.

-- Mistress Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler
Spring'13

Last Poet Standing - Challenge #2 - Sonnet

No Power in the ‘Verse


He aims to misbehave does Cap’n Mal,
Peripatetic rebel ~ just because.
Serenity’s the name and rationale
He gave his little piece of Earth-that-was.


Zoe’s got his back and Book his soul
Inara owns his heart, if he but knew;
Simon has a River to control
Wash and Jayne and Kaylee round the crew.


Bedeviling Blue Sun seems all the game
To wrest away the spoils Alliance took.
Any job with honor bears no shame
It fits the hold, it’s worth a second look.


He’s simply drawn to trouble – it’s a knack.
No power in the ‘Verse can hold him back.

-- Ellen Shipley

40th Issue - 20 Years of Fighter Poems

This will be our 40th issue of the Fighter Poem Collection.  We've been doing them for 20 of their 34 years.  The first one was in our Principality days, A.S. XI, spring of '77.  We started doing them fall of '91.

Ironically this will be one of our smallest books, with only 16 contenders.  Sadly it will also contain some elegies for Rorik, who just died in China.

Last Poet Standing - Challenge #1 - Elegy

Elegy for a Garden Lizard



Little sun basker, stretching in the light
Soaking up rays your singular delight
Sidewalk surfer, always under foot
Darting and dashing when you should stay put


Stucco trekker, clamoring up the wall
Tiny tree hugger, wonder you don’t fall
Sure-footed gripper, snacking on a gnat
Patio streaker, quicker than the cat


Grass blade wriggler, leaving naught a wake
Skittering lightly, stealthy as a snake
Suburban jungle wee backyard creeper
Sad grim victim of the rotary Reaper.


-- Ellen Shipley