Lady’s Knight #OneShotWednesday


Last week for One Stop Poetry, I wrote a poem about a knight leaving his lady. I wrote  verse the following day that continued the poem. I asked my friend Sean Vessey if he would help me write the two poems into a piece of prose. We have written several things in Duet form. A Duet in writing is where one person speaks and the other person responds. It’s a fun way to write; I encourage others to give it a try. Would love to know what you think of this piece and the duet style as we hope to produce more and would appreciate the feedback.

Lady’s Knight

by Sean Vessey and Leslie Moon

 

I lie awake and hear the sounds.

My Knight prepares his war kit to go.

Men preparing to leave. In the darkest hour, they will proceed

His lips graze my face. I am despondent ~ he leaves me alone.

In frustration, I refuse to kiss my knight goodbye

How do I leave my darling to run into danger when all I desire is the warmth of her arms? How do I tell her that she is the sun and moon to me?

There is no sun nor moon nor stars as he departs on his steed.

Farewell giver of heart, my guide on the righteous path

I have no place to lay my head ~fair thee well

Oh my Lady Fair, my Princess of the Moon, I agonize to leave you alone without my lips

My gentle knight lover of my soul I feel your sorrow and want to hold you near.

Off I go, on my guard, so I may return to her loving arms.

Ride into the night my brave one. You forgot a kiss when you left. You have my heart guard it well

Our quest is perilous and long. Our journey hard, there lies our quest.

I dream frightful dreams. He enters the very jaws of hell. What to protect him but my love?

The beast, the vile dragon, rages burning the king’s towns. Dark consuming smoke rises in the distance. Ill tidings of things to come.

Dearest valiant one return to my arms. Do not be suffocated in the darkness be steadfast.

There is the beast dark and grim. Our archers spread out fire, arrows bounce off the beast. Knights ready at the top of my lungs I scream ~ archers fire

My dreams of you falling have weakened me. I could not go on without you?

We charge ~ lances held high. A sweep of the dragon’s claws kills five stout-hearted men.

Darling, feel my shield protecting what is most valuable to me

My steed leads now as the dragon is blinded by arrows. His claws swipe at the air ~  my lance goes in past his ribs to strike true

The darkest part of night has arrived for us all. My darling, far from me, what shall I do for they have laid siege to the castle?

Other knights follow striking well~ the dragon falls on top of two brave knights~ he is slain

They take me. I cry into the evil clutches of the night. I ache for one more glimpse of you my darling

I feel no relief ~ My true love is in peril now ~ I sense it ~her soul calls to me “Help Me”

My love I am in anguish ~ cold ~alone

Knights, I must ride. My love is in danger

What will they do? I need a ray of light and you!

“We will follow soon, ride ahead to your mistress” My horse feels my need and rides like the wind

I call into the night hoping against hope

Limbs whistle overhead as I ride. The night urges me on.

They have driven me into the deepest despair. They tell me you are dead – my heart beats no more

Oh my love, hold my heart, embrace your hopes. I ride to your call

I am lifeless. I recoil at the thought or you no longer whispering my name under the stars

My love, my heart, hold true, I come

I am limp upon the stone. What is that sound I hear? “If only…”  I weep

My Lady, My love ~I am here

What is that…? It sounds like my love.  Alas now the wind plays tricks with my heart

My love? A bleak keep is there.  I feel Her close

You are here. Our hearts call to each other. Come my darling~ my knight

I hear her forlorn cry ~ my resolve hardens~ those who hurt my lady will pay. I ride past the watchmen knocking them down. Into the keep ~ into the main hall ~  tense for battle

One exhausted Knight cannot possibly prevail against such darkness

The way to Her voice is clear. She is in the tower above

I hear heavy footsteps a voice my heart knows. He has come. Nothing matters in the world but us two. His lips on mine. Never leave my darling. Never depart

Others come, I hold her narrow door, with blade and shield

I am not afraid – he is my flesh. I will die by his side if need be

Never will we die together~ I fight~ we live for each other~ always in our hearts

He has defeated dragon and foe with one sweep of his courageous, brave heart

A sound and fury comes. The other knights are coming to our aid

He has confidence in his brother knights. He enfolds me in his arms, carries me to safety.

The Keep is ours. My love is safe. We are joined heart to heart.

As, I gaze into his eyes, I thank him with a lasting kiss. No more will we be parted

I kiss her as though it is our lips first meeting

The breeze gently plays with my hair as he sings to my heart

“My Lady”, I whisper with my heart, “my true love. I am yours always

I beckon him into the moonlight . The two of us veiled in the mist of our desire

64 thoughts on “Lady’s Knight #OneShotWednesday

  1. moon this is wicked cool…love your duet…so moving indeed…you need to write more together…or maybe jsut share it more often…smiles. happy one shot!

    Like

  2. i love duet poetry !!! written few myself and i enjoy them a lot ! This was well crafted more so for maintaining the flow all while !!

    Like

  3. Once in a lit course in high school I selected a Shakespeare play from which we pulled lines and responded to them, a kind of variation on what you’re doing here. It was a lot of fun.

    I’d enjoy hearing your work here as a performance piece.

    Like

    1. I love that period in history though in real life I would have frozen in those stone castles – great acoustics tho

      Like

      1. A different type of co operative is a manufacturer’s co operative. The many well-known manufacturer’s co operative is Blue MixorBlue Protect, where hospitals and physicians have created not-for-profit insurance Quotes Chimp which market medical insurance to the general public. The actual strength in these types of companies lies together with the venders healthcare, euphemistically identified in the industry as &number3 4;suppliers.&number3 4; The coordinators command the managing of the co operative. Unlike mutuals or mutual deals, no ownership rights are obtained by policyholders.

        Like

  4. So cool! Great collaboration. The lines complement each others’ very well. Seems like this was a lot of fun to write too. Well done, Leslie & Sean. Cheers

    Like

  5. Much tension and high ROMANCE. Chivalry Knights Fair Lady what else could a fairytale lovin’ girl want. Too cool and nicely balanced dialogue too. Enjoyed this immensely! Thanks, Gay @beachanny

    Like

  6. I am a huge fan of your collaboration. The mixture of talents is enlightening. I loved how even miles apart, they could feel each others emotions. Also how they were so in tune with each other that they were able to sense when their loved one was in danger. Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
    There was a slight mispelling that I caught, nothing big “recoil at the thought or you no” I think it’s supposed to be of not or.

    Like

  7. Mm, always enjoy these duet pieces…especially from people as skilled as the both of you, Moonie. I think perhaps I need to hit up my friend Kila for a duet soon, work something out. Problem’s sometimes in finding someone with whom thoughts and styles are compatible!

    Good build, great flow for a dually-written piece. You took us back to romance in the age of knights and chivalry, showing us that chivalry, as oft contended, is not dead so long as it lives on in lovely throwbacks like this. Moving, especially through the shifting perspectives. Broadens the scope.

    Like

  8. What a story!! I was hooked to it with childlike wonder in my eyes!! I can’t believe it’s been written by 2 people!! An excellent job by the two of you, Moonie and Sean!! Bravo…

    Like

  9. That kind of love bearly exists in our modern post modern world… Most of the time we are oblvious of the dangerous times. Bruce Cockburn has a song titled Lovers In a Dangerous Time that eludes to this intensity. I will intensly kiss my wife goodbye as I leave for work today…on the lips!

    Like

  10. I am curious Leslie about a couple of things. First I am assuming you wrote the first line and Sean the second which means he directed the duet to the subject or did you predetermine a goal, a time frame, and era?

    I lie awake and hear the sounds. (Line 1)

    My Knight prepares his war kit to go. (line 2)

    Both are written in the same feminine narrative voice. Then after this the even number lines switch to the masculine narrative voice. It confused me a bit.

    Then he kisses her as she lays there silently listening and she refuses to kiss him back because she is afraid for him then a line or two later complains because he left without kissing her. what is this a woman’s prerogative to change her mind? These are just questions that inhibited ME from finding the flow in the first reading.

    His lips graze my face. I am despondent ~ he leaves me alone.

    In frustration, I refuse to kiss my knight goodbye

    …Ride into the night my brave one. You forgot a kiss when you left.

    I guess the question is was this duet edited at all or are the call and response simply left as is?

    All in all including the above noted the story is there, there is a beginning, middle and an acceptable end. But I will admit I have tried a duet a couple of times and was never able to capture any flow from it yet I have two friends who sit at times just passing a notebook back and forth and it works very well for them.

    Like

    1. So many questions. Italicizes is me bold is Sean. We have to get into a rhythm like any dance or song. I won’t say it is unedited because we write quickly – but the content is as we wrote it.
      The initial poem we bounced this off of she didn’t kiss him before he went – since that was an emphasis we had to do that kiss justice. Women can rapidly change their mind – I know

      Like

  11. Interesting read! I enjoyed the dual effort and see that it works well for you.

    Finally, I understand how James Carville and Mary Matalin can pull it off without a hitch! Thanks for sharing this format and thanks to both you and Sean for stitching it into a beautiful patchwork quilt. I hope to see more of this…

    Like

    1. We both seem to click naturally – I guess in writing or acting or music there are those great melds. I used to perform duets with a friend and our voices even harmoniously sounded like one voice – it really does just click. It’s fun when that happens
      thanks

      Like

  12. I loved this– the wordplay and echoes of the two voices, strong and gentle. Plus, it was just damn suspenseful! I’m glad the knight and his lady had a happy ending.

    Like

    1. Thanks Jess – really love the era. Spending weeks in castle country helped a bit – I also understand how cold it was – you know me sunshine thru and thru

      Like

  13. I ask you answer I answer you ask
    That is a real duet story
    So greatly written… oh those ladies and knights- no fight
    But inside….

    Like

  14. This broke my heart a little, but then healed it upon their kiss.

    You guys have got some amazing talent to do this and have it fit seamlessly like a leather glove into a laced hand.

    Bravo!

    xoxo

    Like

    1. I think most people that are itseretned in FreeStyle have met other FS’ers at events and are comfortable reading and posting in an environment that is more nested so to speak.I know many folks are just not into posting on Facebook because of privacy concerns.I think we should focus here on FS oriented discussions. As far as I know we are not itseretned in spurious arguments that sometime show up on solotripping and p’net. FS discussions have a way of going way off base in more open audience discussions.

      Like

    1. Surely imagine etiryvheng you explained. Ones most liked approval have also been with the web the most convenient factor to adopt directly into accout regarding. My partner and i tell a person, I undoubtedly find irked whilst individuals consider conditions many people obviously don’t realize with regards to. Anyone managed to strike your nail bed upon the superior as well as described away the whole lot with no need unwanted effect, other people can require a indication. Might be again to obtain additional. Thanks a lot!

      Like

  15. ow…Sherry, sorry to hear your situation,you are so unlkcuy. I and an entrecard member too. I wish i won’t face this problem and wish you good luck too!Hope your problem will be solved as soon as possible.Have a nice day !

    Like

  16. Fantastic goods from you, man. I have keep in mind your stuff prior to and you are just too great. I really like what you have rieeevcd here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which by which you are saying it. You are making it entertaining and you continue to take care of to stay it wise. I can not wait to learn far more from you. That is really a terrific web site.

    Like

Leave a reply to budhaaah Cancel reply