The Tower
The sun behind the mountain range,
The amber rays caressed the crest,
When Ezra climbed the tower steps,
And took position, facing west.
Not every man was like Ezra of Lears,
A Knight of the Kingdom for fifty- one years,
Scarred from the battles, he’d known humbling,
And confessed no allegiance…except to the King.
Ezra was welcomed at everyone’s door,
A generous man to the widows and poor
The children would greet him with laughter and cheers,
No, not every man was like Ezra of Lears.
The Kingdom may relax an hour, Ezra’s watching from the tower.
Night was coming quickly,
And the temperature began to drop,
Across the Kingdom, fires lit,
He counted from the tower top.
Noting all in Kingdom care,
The villages, appearing small,
The castle’s end of day routine,
The gates were closed along the wall.
Not even the tiniest murmur was made as the hiss came a slithering out of the shade.
All of the fires were burning, save one,
The night was becoming progressively dark.
A bit of concern could be seen on his brow,
To himself Ezra murmured, “Where are you Jon Marc?
He waited. Time passed. He waited the hour,
considering raising alarm from the tower.
But it wasn’t uncommon for Jonathan Marcus
To go on patrol and to fail to report,
According to him there was no need to worry,
They’re probably down there engaged in some sport.
He wasn’t a man to succumb to his fears. None more courageous than Ezra of Lears.
Never had Ezra alerted the Kingdom!
Not one single time had he nodded to sleep…
He watched for the day and the day was upon him!
Tonight he would raise the alarm from the keep.
Instead of an enemy out in the dark, he hoped the alarm would embarrass Jon Marc.
He heard it. The hissing…it came from the ground.
The base of the tower aflame, all around!
The flames were climbing, higher and higher,
From top of the tower, Ezra screamed, “Fire!”
Darkness at the South Outpost,
Something horribly gone wrong,
Now the tower set aflame,
From the temple rang the Gong!
Gong… Gong… Gong…
From the village came the screams,
Gong… Gong… Gong…
The fire crawling up the beams,
Gong… Gong… Gong…
The smoke was rising to the bower,
Gong… Gong… Gong…
Ezra burning in the tower…