Merlyn’s First Prophecy
by Michael R. Burch

Vortigern commanded a tower to be built upon Snowden,
but the earth would churn and within an hour its walls would cave in.

Then his druid said only the virginal blood of a fatherless son,
recently shed, would ever hold the foundation.

“There is, in Caer Myrrdin, a faery lad, a son with no father;
his name is Merlyn, and with his blood you would have your tower.”

So Vortigern had them bring the boy, the child of the demon,
and, taciturn and without joy, looked out over Snowden.

“To **** a child brings little praise, but many tears.”
Then the mountain slopes rang with the brays of Merlyn’s jeers.

“Pure poppycock! You fumble and bumble and heed a fool.
At the base of the rock the foundations crumble into a pool!”

When they drained the pool, two dragons arose, one white and one red,
and since the old druid was blowing his nose, young Merlyn said:

“Vortigern is the white, Ambrosius the red; now, watch, indeed.”
Then the former died as the latter fed and Vortigern peed.

Originally published by Celtic Twilight

Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, Ambrosius, Vortigern, dragons

Merlyn, on His Birth
by Michael R. Burch

I was born in Gwynedd,
or not born, as men may claim,
and the Zephyr of Caer Myrrdin
gave me my name.

My father was Madog Morfeyn
but our eyes were never the same,
nor our skin, nor our hair;
for his were dark, dark
—as our people’s are—
and mine were fairer than fair.

The night of my birth, the Zephyr
carved of white stone a rune;
and the ringed stars of Ursa Major
outshone the cool pale moon;
and my grandfather, Morydd, the seer
saw wheeling, a-gyre in the sky,
a falcon with terrible yellow-gold eyes
when falcons never fly.

Legend has it that Zephyr was an ancestor of Merlin. In this poem, I suggest that Merlin may have been an albino, which might have led to seemingly outlandish claims that he had no father, due to radical physical differences between father and son. This would have also added to his appearance as a mystical figure. The reference to Ursa Major, the bear, ties the birth of Merlin to the future birth of Arthur, whose Welsh name (“Artos” or “Artur”) means “bear.” Morydd is a another possible ancestor of Merlin’s.
Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, England, chivalry, Camelot

Insurrection
by Michael R. Burch

She has become as the night—listening
for rumors of dawn—while the dew, glistening,
reminds me of her, and the wind, whistling,
lashes my cheeks with its soft chastening.

She has become as the lights—flickering
in the distance—till memories old and troubling
rise up again and demand remembering ...
like peasants rebelling against a mad king.

Originally published by The Chained Muse

Keywords/Tags: insurrection, night, dawn, wind, lights, peasants, rebelling, mad, king, old, troubling, cheeks, chastening, flickering, memories

ooh! the faith was stood
against every worst

God has its word
all technology had given up

all apparatuses became as a decorate
the media has no word

the arts had been from an ancient
football becomes an old fashion

sports lost their luster
the world has one order


their play became boring
and it is gone so farthest

it may not be returned
the only art is the *******

the white becomes a new color
the faith will grow so fast

the films will tell a word
the art will draw a portrait

tell the oldest and hated word
that they want to hide it

they tried to **** believe
believe leads to live
with happy and give
the others the funny

God is not presented
but the fact has appeared

untie your feeling
and ask your God from deepest

worship and be honest
all **** sites became the preachers

the naked at the end gets clothes
they all talked one word
save us our God

there was injustice
governed the land
he believes that he was the god

he believed that he deserved
to govern all world
when a prophet appeared

he argued him a lot
the prophet told that his God
could get the life and the death

the king said," I could do
more than your God could do
I could judge that to be killed

so I got him dead
and the other to be lived
and so I get him safe from the death

the prophet told him with shortage,"
my God gets the sun from the east
could you get it from the west"

the king got in troubles
the problems and worst riddles were faced
their mouthes were widely opened

the only and only the matter to be solved
is killing that awful
as he damaged the others Gods

and put the ax at the shoulder of the biggest
they came and asked
, "who could argue to destroy our gods"

one of them answered, ' he is that youth
who refused to worship them
he must be punished"

when they asked
he answered so clearest,
brightness as the sun of August

the big god's statue did
they looked with amazement
they said in one word,"
that he could not do that

he could not be jealous
the facts he could not do that"
he attacked them as a fighter

carrying strong armies
," how do you worship them
as they had no harmful or useful

how do you worship who you make"
they got astonished
times and times

the king got angry
as if he could overlap their gods
he would destroy his godhead so nearly

they made a great hole
gathering every wood from all parts
putting it and burned

the tongues of fire were so hight
so the birds were flying over it
could fell into it

from the heat of it
he would be thrown at the first moment

they made a great catapult
they put him at it
and threw at the heart

of the fire which worshipped its God
and believed in its godhead
it waited for the orders

the great angel came
his face filled with fear
fearing of fire to burn the only truth

walking over that land
,'' do you need any help"
the angel asked

the prophet answered,"
from you, that is no demand
and I thank you from my heart

from my God, he knows what I face
and he will save any hurts"
the fire was ordered,"

to be safe on that closest
prophet
the people waited a lot

the prophet got saved
the fire burned its ties
he was saved as well as his clothes

the only truth is the God
say it at times
save us, us

dear highness
dear truth
my God

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Yaong mga anino'y hindi nakikita
Mga haring sila ang nagtatakda
Ng mga bagay dito sa lupa

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Yaong papel na may mukha
Mga haring dinadakila
Ng mga uhaw na dukha

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Na kaharian ay ang yaman sa lupa
Handang pumatay ng alila
Upang pigilin ang daigdig sa pagluha

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Na di kailanman kumalam ang sikmura
Na kailanma'y hindi lumuha
O nagbuhat ng kutsara

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Bundok ng bungo'y sumusumpa
Sumisigaw sa hinagpis na mga alila
Sa kamay ninyo mga hari sa lupa

Kumusta mga hari sa lupa
Pagbati ko sana'y makita
Nawa'y maunawaan ang Salita
Sapagkat dito tayo lahat nagmula

-JGA

Mamba
impossibly human
the bite, the strike, the temperament
When threatened, the mamba comes out
Strike, strike, strike, strike
The mamba is relentless
His venom coursing through the veins
Of his foolish challengers
His coal black eyes, hungry
Defeating, intimidating, vicious
The mamba bite is always fatal
For he has no antivenin to defeat him
No mortal power can wither him
To the dust
Strike, strike, strike, strike
The common name of the snake
Is given to no common man
Only the name of the fastest, most protective, most aggressive,
Tallest, biggest, lethal-est snake
Belongs to the man with the biggest, lethal-est presence
Strike, strike, strike, strike
Formidable anywhere he is placed
Strike, strike, strike, strike
The crown of the kingdom sits
Comfortably atop his temples
Strike, strike, strike, strike
How fitting
The world’s deadliest player
Be called after
The world’s deadliest snake