Lute Of Wary Hope

Lute Of Wary Hope
© Surazeus
2024 05 09

The woman with long black hair and black eyes, 
wearing long black dress and black leather boots, 
sits on black jagged rock on white-sand beach, 
staring at gray clouds above the gray sea, 
while eating apple red as the dawn sun 
that shatters frozen mirror of despair. 

Opening brown leather book on her lap, 
she dips raven-feathered quill in black ink 
and writes lyrics in ballad-meter verse 
that describe how she feels inside her heart 
about how light-beams of the rising sun 
illuminate fertile beauty of life. 

Tuning copper strings of new polished lute, 
made from red cedar by the half-blind monk, 
the black-eyed woman plucks vibrating strings 
and hums words of her ballad about light 
till she composes charming melody 
that highlights concepts of her mantric song. 

Seated on bard chair in the feasting hall, 
paid two florins to entertain the crowd 
gathered to celebrate the holiday, 
the black-eyed woman strums sweet melody 
and sings enchanting verse of her sea song 
that praises beauty of romantic love. 

Grim soldiers loyal to the county duke 
drag black-eyed woman from the feasting hall 
and chain her arms in dungeon of despair 
where silver-eyed duchess with long gold hair 
accuses her of mocking their brave duke 
through secret symbols hidden in her song. 

Forgotten in the dungeon thirty years, 
the black-eyed woman sings enchanting tunes 
that haunt the hearts of grim guards with despair 
who weep with hope for true romantic love, 
till son of the duke at his crowning feast 
declares all prisoners should be set free. 

Trudging from dungeon of sunless despair, 
the black-eyed woman with tangled gray hair 
stands by sparkling fountain in the town square 
and sings with Mercury wail in her voice 
heart-enchanting song of raven-winged words 
that praises beauty of romantic love. 

The woman with long gray hair and black eyes, 
wearing long black dress and black leather boots, 
sits on black jagged rock on white-sand beach, 
and teaches three young girls with sparkling eyes 
how to write lyrics in heart-metered verse 
they sing while strumming lute of wary hope.