My entry
Here we go. This poem-type thing is my entry for the contest dealing with Rannon. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it's not the worst either. It's based on a poem I read a long time ago that described one of the Roman Emperors. It took events in his life and made verses out of them. Well, here it is!
Born second, death followed him into the world.
Condemned by his father, blame placed for the loss of a beloved queen.
Struggling daily to prove his worth, he found no love or acceptance.
Always in the shadow of a well-loved older brother,
Warmth and compassion became unknown to him.
Desperate to prove himself, he felt no price too high to pay.
Then death, ever-present and always looming, stole into his life again.
In a matter of days, all were lost.
A crown he did not know how to wear was placed on his head.
A child was now made king.
Clever and strong-spirited,
He chose a Lion to serve as his first advisor.
Those who thought him weak soon found him strong.
The loyalty of warriors brought great relief and power to him.
He had dreams of glory as the ruler of his land.
Many thought him wiser than his father,
His rule was prosperous and kind.
Then again Death crept in on silent feet.
Drought and disease fractured his people,
And shattered the dreams of a king.
Death now ruled his heart.
He called upon mercenaries to put a stop to rebellion.
The Lion, once a friend and ally,
Now fell to the young king’s madness.
Civil war had now begun.
A decade of Death’s gluttonous rule was brought to an end,
By a single child who had slipped through Death’s grasp.
A ring of power stolen from the king’s finger,
Ended his reign at last.
Death fled in terror as its hold was broken.
Denied the mercy of Death’s embrace,
Now the fallen tyrant lives on, once again in shadow.
But here he weaves his threads of power
Into a tapestry that helps the throne.
A puppet master to the end.
I hope this does our beloved fallen tyrant justice!
Born second, death followed him into the world.
Condemned by his father, blame placed for the loss of a beloved queen.
Struggling daily to prove his worth, he found no love or acceptance.
Always in the shadow of a well-loved older brother,
Warmth and compassion became unknown to him.
Desperate to prove himself, he felt no price too high to pay.
Then death, ever-present and always looming, stole into his life again.
In a matter of days, all were lost.
A crown he did not know how to wear was placed on his head.
A child was now made king.
Clever and strong-spirited,
He chose a Lion to serve as his first advisor.
Those who thought him weak soon found him strong.
The loyalty of warriors brought great relief and power to him.
He had dreams of glory as the ruler of his land.
Many thought him wiser than his father,
His rule was prosperous and kind.
Then again Death crept in on silent feet.
Drought and disease fractured his people,
And shattered the dreams of a king.
Death now ruled his heart.
He called upon mercenaries to put a stop to rebellion.
The Lion, once a friend and ally,
Now fell to the young king’s madness.
Civil war had now begun.
A decade of Death’s gluttonous rule was brought to an end,
By a single child who had slipped through Death’s grasp.
A ring of power stolen from the king’s finger,
Ended his reign at last.
Death fled in terror as its hold was broken.
Denied the mercy of Death’s embrace,
Now the fallen tyrant lives on, once again in shadow.
But here he weaves his threads of power
Into a tapestry that helps the throne.
A puppet master to the end.
I hope this does our beloved fallen tyrant justice!