The Willow Wood Man

The Willow Wood Man

This poem was written to be a song, and part of the soundtrack for my book.

It tells the story of  a character who is a bard, of legend, called “The Willow Wood Man”.

The Willow Wood Man

In days of old when legends walked

And magic’s voice was on the land

There lived a bard of great renown

who’s song could cool the desert sand

From east to west from north to south

From simple folk to Queen and King

Magic’s voice rang from his mouth

Enchanting all who heard him sing

Then one fine day he spied fair maid

of slender form and beauty rare

With summers promise in her eyes

And wild flowers in her hair

But unknown to him she was betrothed

A wizards wife yet soon to be

Though when she heard the Bards sweet song

Her heart was lost to the magic’s plea

Of the Willow Wood Man

 

So the day before she was to wed

She pledged her love for the handsome Bard

Then in the dead of night they fled

On horses fleet and ridden hard

With the land still young and the forests new

And the Wizards anger burning free

They travelled south to hide from view

Beneath the Dark Woods canopy

But from afar the Wizard saw

And driven by his furies fire

He summoned monsters from the deep

To bring them out to face his ire

But luck was on the lovers side

As they came upon the Mystic lake

For evil cannot enter in

Through the wards that the magic there did make

For the Willow Wood Man

 

So for a season joy was theirs

While through the forest monsters prowled

But winters chill produced a fever

And the maiden passed as the north wind howled

He buried her deep beside the lake

And mourned her loss the winter through

And in the spring to his surprise

Out from her grave a Willow grew

Now in the heart of the Dark Wood stands

Around the banks of the Mystic lake

An ancient woods of Willows grand

Where the seasons tides can never break

For winter was banished by summers song

Sung as only one man can

With magic’s voice he tends the trees

With the sad sweet song of the Willow Wood Man