=========
500 Years
=========

A collection of poems by Lendren Starfall, written in the years leading to their 500th birthday, some of them improvised and off the cuff.

-----------------
the restless dead
-----------------

Something ineffable
Nigh undefinable
Binds you, impossible
Irreconcilable
Peace unattainable
Rest is denied to you
Loss insurmountable
You haunt us, what haunts you?

---------------
spirit of place
---------------

Stars above us wheel and dance, cavort and frolic;
In the plains the river sings a sunny tune.
Centaur hills looming breathe deep and exhale clean airs;
Trees smile and wave while their birds softly croon.
Winds are gentle fingertips our cheeks caressing;
The land shines gold the silver of the Moon.

Is the world filled with spirits
Echoing the joys of love back at us?
Or is it only air and stone, sky and water?
In the end, is there any difference?

Places can be shaped by hate or horror,
But also they are changed by love and pleasure.
When sunshine reflects off a roof, light becomes heat;
When passion reflects off the world, love becomes joy.

--------
outgrown
--------

The wind that bore the seed away,
The rains that watered its first day,
The loamy soil in which it lay,
The sun that shared its warming rays.

The sproutling reaches, tall and long,
The flower blooms with light and song,
The fruit's shine ripens bright and strong,
It finds its path, and moves along.

The wind forgotten, set aside
The rains forsaken, left behind
The soil deserted, sere and dried,
The sunlight now by dark denied:

At some remove, they watch, still proud,
Their love and care remain unbowed,
No longer needed, yet not cowed,
They dare not share their tears aloud.

-------------
bits of shell
-------------

High in the boughs of a sacred tree
A woven home of twigs, straw, and fur.
Caught in strands at the nest's bottom
Broken bits of shell, and nothing more.

------------------
assorted limericks
------------------

Velcora and I played a game
to make limericks up for acclaim
on subjects picked random
we made rhymes in tandem
to see who would win greater fame!

The topic of weddings was in passing
while with rhymes we both were harassing
but Mom spoke of salad
so I made this ballad
of dresses in fashion surpassing!

A tiara made of bok choy
a skirt of okra corduroy
a bodice of broad-beans
a train made of fresh greens
a wedding salad to enjoy!

There was an aslaran with fleas.
She tried hard to bathe, but just sneezed.
She took off her pants,
and did a wild dance,
and the pests all blew off in the breeze.

---------
clerihews
---------

(Author's note: a clerihew is a type of poem with three notable traits: intentionally awkward rhyme and scansion, a first line that is the name of its subject, and a wry twist that is meant to both humorously and teasingly celebrate a person's fame, or at least one thing that they are well known for.)

Nepenthe Dahyu
wondered, 'what next must I do?'
Surrounded by gifts,
struck Crumkane's name off the list.

Ialie Starfall
smiled like a rainbow at the Basin, all.
Gathered in one room,
they watched aetherspace collapse in with a boom.

---------
war march
---------

For though the shadows grim and pale
shall cast their darkness on the veil,
with shining steel and sturdy hearts,
Men good and strong shall still prevail!

For though the creatures grim of night
shall crawl and wail and gnash and bite,
with stalwart strength and love of kin,
Men wise and brave shall win the fight!

For though the sky is full of cloud,
and hearts of men are weak with doubt,
with wisdom true, and lore, and song,
Men proud and fair drive evil out!

---------
wayfarers
---------

The horizon stretches out ahead
Another one falls far behind
The road is stone beneath my feet
The past and future intertwined.

We sing of where we've come from
And where we go back to again.
For what was lost will be reclaimed,
Through battle, struggle, loss, and pain.

We bark in markets far and wide,
We sell our dances, songs, and poems,
And though we dream of long-lost lands,
The paving stones become our home.

So sing and cheer the road beneath,
Of aching feet and heavy gear,
For soon we crest another hill
For taverns full of bread and beer!