"The Pearl Lost, The Knight Bound"
Hwæt! Hear the tale of a knight so bold,
Loyal in heart, both steadfast and cold.
For love he fought, his pearl so fair,
Whose bright laughter did fill the air.
A bathhouse she kept, gleaming with grace,
And there they dwelt in joy's embrace.
He carved for the Queen, with hand so true,
A statue tall, the heavens blue.
But fate, cruel fate, in shadow crept,
While in the sewers, his pearl she stepped.
When she returned from that dungeon deep,
Her mem'ries gone, like mist they sweep.
"Who art thou?" quoth she, with eyes anew,
And in his heart, the dagger flew.
Yet with a smile, broad and wide,
He masked the grief he could not hide.
His love, his joy, now but a shade,
In mem'ry's vault alone they stayed.
HUZZAH! he cried, with voice of cheer,
But his heart was cracked, his soul unclear.
For though she lives, his pearl is lost,
Her true self found, at sorrow's cost.
The knight stands tall, his smile aglow,
But within, the winds of sorrow blow.
And thus he fights, his armor bright,
For love once known, for endless night.
The past he clings to, never shown,
In silence, grief—forever his own.
