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The Tale of Kevin the Mighty

Gather round, all ye townsfolk and list to the tale
Of Kevin the mighty, the freckled and pale.
His blond hair was tousled, his blue eyes were clear,
(If somewhat nearsighted); his mien showed no fear.
He slew a fierce dragon, alone, without aid,
And wooed and won Ellen, the fairest of maids.

One day in late summer, with armor and shield,
Brave Kevin rode out over valley and field.
He found himself hoping for shelter and board
As the setting sun gilded his helmet and sword.
When the sun slowly sank past the faraway hills
He rode into a village, deserted and still.
The first cottage he came to was locked and twice-barred
But, undeterred, Kevin knocked on the door hard.
He was ready to ride on his way, as before,
When a rough-looking farmer swung open the door.
Quoth he, “Are you simpleton, villain, or lout,
That you venture abroad while the dragon is out?”
But the man’s daughter, Ellen, clad all in white,
Slipped out of the doorway and spoke to the knight:
“Whether vagabond, pilgrim, or knight of renown,
You must slay the dragon and rescue our town.
For the townspeople all live in fear of the flight
Of leathery wings in the perilous night.
When the silver moon rises, the dragon awakes—
Now ride for the mountains, before the dawn breaks.”

He took up his helmet and saddled his mare,
And set off for the mountain, the dreaded beast’s lair.
As he rode ‘neath the moon o’er the slumbering earth
Brave Kevin’s thoughts turned to the town of his birth.
For Kevin, who dreamed of keen swords and bright armor,
Was born in a village, the son of a farmer.
He learned not to shrink from hard labor and toil,
But he showed little interest in tilling the soil.
In fencing he reveled, at archery peerless;
Though skinny and freckled, at heart he was fearless.
The lad grew to manhood; one bright summer day
He shouldered his pack and set off on his way,
And swore, knowing not what his future might hold,
All his life to be valiant, faithful, and bold.

And now, as the dragon’s black mountain drew nigh
He saw the first rays of the sun in the sky.
Ere Kevin had crested the top of the hill
The cry of the dragon rose eerie and shrill.
The sound kindled his heart with a radiant light
As he tethered the mare and made ready to fight.
Like a star bright as daybreak his silver shield shone;
Kevin stood on the hillside unbowed and alone.

All at once the sky darkened; the dragon swooped low,
Its pointed claws gleamed in a menacing row.
He felt the fierce blast of its fiery breath,
Tainted with sulphur, with brimstone and death.
It seared Kevin’s face and singed Kevin’s lashes;
Like a phoenix he rose, glowing glory from ashes.
He raised high the sword, his white-knuckled grip tightening,
And stabbed the beast’s heart with a blow like swift lightning.
As the morning sun shone bright and strong o’er the plain,
The battle was over. The dragon was slain.
There stood mighty Kevin, bloodied and pale,
A wound on his arm from a razor-edged scale,
His armor still gleamed ’neath its coating of mud,
And his great sword was smeared with the dragon’s black blood.
But never again, thanks to Kevin’s bold hand
The shadow of fear would sweep over the land.


Written for a poetry class. The meter and rhyme scheme are simple. It does contain the elements of an epic, though, complete with high-flown metaphors and flashbacks when the action gets slow. I would like to add some lines to this someday, and also I would like to illustrate this. They say great poems need no illustrations--but I think mine need all the help they can get.



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