Tintagel - Birthplace of Arthur

by pete marshall

Perched high upon this jutting cliff

The flint felt hard upon my feet

I lay with lizards and basked in warmth

As waves rose high and swirled beneath

Across the bay the castle walls

That stand in time & in a time

Many have been and dabbled with myths

Whilst taking steps to do the climb

Below the surf strikes on the rocks

And hides the cave where magic lies

As people wait for seas to drift

And search for quartz beneath the tides

The rolling slopes and ragged crags

Engulf the isle that now lays calm

Where once was death and battles fought

And magic brought the golden one

My eyes search out the fabled tales

As colours blend upon this land

And birds that swoop in endless song

From grass & rock to sea & sand

Behind my back stands Barras Nose

Who’s clash is vain with battling seas

As heat comes down and warms my soul

I lower my head in prayer for thee

And those before and yet to come

Like beating drums within my mind

To find a place that brings you peace

Away from truths that take you home

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Originally published One Stop Poetry 21st August 2010

image courtesy creative commons flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/dysanovic/ 

What Lay Before by pete marshall

What Lay Before?

by pete marshall

They hopped along this sacred earth

where bones would lay in open graves

picked the worms from rotting leaves

that turn to mulch and then decay

A flap of wings upon a gust

would settle forth within the trees

perched on high to spy the world

tears would flow as all would grieve

Feather’s fell from high above

floating past an open view

they sat upon a window ledge

where dolls would play in solitude

Bars align this sheltered space

hardened steel surrounds the home

boards are trod by strangers who

remove the tiles where magpies roam

Two would sit upon the slate

beneath where dreams of hope now fade

rock is dropped to crash and break

upon the path where gold once lay

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Ever wondered What Lay Before? My home has a history and the land is stands on can tell even older tales. 

image courtesy creative commons flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/raulc/

Remember, Remember: A Poem by Pete Marshall

Remember, Remember

by Pete Marshall

Glitter falls and sparkles bright

open mouths absorb delight

flares that shoot across the stars

smoke that chokes the weeping heart

jackets hot with molten fat

children warm with scarf & hat

lanterns glow on frosty nights

bangers shared are warm delights.

Logs that crackle on the fire

waxen faces, heat perspire

flames that rise toward the sky

lick through masks of wicked lies

that curl a lip in twisted hate

as flesh is burned and anger sate

for pennies bought this funeral pyre

and treason tore through his desire.

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Remember, Remember the 5th of November! Every year in the Uk we celebrate Bonfire Night. A time when a guy is made and thrown on the fire as fireworks are released into the nights sky. But as with so many traditions its true meaning has so often been overlooked. The guy was Guy Fawkes who, along with his comrades, tried to kill the English King James I and replace him with a Catholic Monarch. Having been captured an tried for treason, Guy Fawkes was to jump from the hangman's platform and break his neck on the fall, thus saving himself from being hung, drawn & quartered.

This is my poem for One Shot Wednesday, part of One Stop Poetry.

image care of creative commons flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/a11sus/

Lord Have Mercy On Us: A Poem By Pete Marshall

"Lord Have Mercy On Us"

Please join me over at One Stop Poetry to red my new poem.

In Search Of Albion: A Poem by Pete Marshall

In Search of Albion

I wandered down a beaten track

That led to paths no longer seen

Where once we walked in years gone by

But covered now by fallen leaves

The ancient paths can still be found

Beneath the concrete thoroughfares

Where rowan grows by roadside cafes

And thrushes sing in Autumn air

The frogs will always find their home

Where once the streams ran wild and free

Beneath this land of brick and steel

Where people fought to own our green

The signs are there on roadside names

That tell of tales from long ago

But life is led at such a pace

The past has gone before we know

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History is all around us but in our fast lives do we ever stop to notice? The UK is steeped in history, our street names, pub signs, the list is endless.....perhaps, just once, we should stop and pause for a few moments and wonder where we are and what it was once like....

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image courtesy creative commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/electropod/