Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Ian Turnbull's "The English Teacher"

Found it ever so appropriate to reprint a lovely birthday poem from my good friend and fellow writer, Ian Turnbull.  Thank you so much, Ian, for your beautiful verse.




The English Teacher

What light is this
Shining on manuscripts written long ago
It is her gift
Passed on to us so we may know

The hearts of men
Vile villainy's evil conceit
Thrives in chasms
Where right is wronged and is desolate in defeat

Trapped in the plot
We sink to those depths too
Succumbing to the sulphurous stench
Subsumed in the devil's stew

Yet stay with her
She tells that very same pen
Demonstrates ideals
The sword unsheathed of righteous men

Fables and tales
We share the saddle of the knight
Expectations signaled
The impending heroic fight

Justice restored
Once more we breathe good air
Evil vanquished
Good fortune banishes despair

From conflict
We now are steered away
To life's joys and pains
We're taken along this way

Melancholic metaphors
The tormented suitor spurned
Oh unrequited love
Carnal desires not returned

What rare romance
Only the moon witnesses the kiss
Nuptials planned
The true nature of the tryst

Yet even more
Now transfixed in the language of love
What joy's unleashed
A perception of the heavens above

What a journey
The articulated message sought
Replete in
Comprehending the author's every thought.

Ian Turnbull

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