Ancient Bards – Poetry
Tell us of the ancient bards,
Sing to us, Euterpe, Muse of song,
Daughter of Mnemosyne, fathered by Zeus,
Tell us of the learned poets and tellers of stories,
Who told of the bravery of tribal warriors
Who fought and died for clan and country.
The Bard (ca. 1817), painting by John Martin
~~
Bards who stood before kings and chieftains,
Gave them immortality with great stories
Only a bard could compose,
Stories of great deeds and victories
Those leaders accomplished in life,
Deeds that made them infamous.
Great power the bards had with words
That would give fame to victorious kings,
Or shame to defeated enemies,
Such as the Bard of Avon
Who brought tragedy to King Lear,
Or Taliesen who immortalized King Arthur.
The Bard of Ayrshire gave us the famous
Tribute to love with a Red Red Rose,
A devotion to eternal love,
Oh, what words more beautiful than
“And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.”
And we, The Bards of TCE,
Are but descendants of these ancient bards
And many more, whose words of love,
Bravery and kind deeds
Made them immortal, as our words
Will in time make us immortal.
~~~
© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
- Ode to Voices in Desert Sands - August 14, 2023
- My Secluded Mountain Forest Nook - July 24, 2023
- My Cozy Log Cabin in the Woods - July 22, 2023
Lovely Phyllis, of the ancients, our predecessors, who in their words sought immortality, as we in our renderings seek longevity, to be remembered for our thoughts and poetic expression. great work.
Ah! Thank you, Tony. Yes, we do seek that, don’t we? I had fun with this poem, it just flowed out naturally. So pleased you like it. Take care.
Phyllis,
Though this is so intellectually written, I can feel the beauty and passion in it. The last paragraph especially speaks to me in its depiction of “immortality” of our words of today,, as it was “bravery and kindness” of the ancients.
Thank you very much, Tamara. Yes, some day our poetry will ring in the halls of history. So glad you enjoyed this poem.
Phyllis,
I would like this to be so. Thus, when TCE gets ready to publish another book, I would be greatly honored to be included! I want something to leave my sons; this is why this is so important to me. Your own poem, here, inspires me to keep writing!
Even in my poems about Narcissists, and the like, I am trying to educate my boys so they’ll be able to better protect themselves in life. And, all my other subjects, as well, I am speaking to my young adult men (my sons).
I do not have much material items to leave them as I live a simple life, (or else I get too overwhelmed). So, I want to leave them my words.
This is my goal.
Thank you, Phyllis, for inspiring me 🙂
That is admirable, Tamara, to leave your sons a legacy with your words of poetry. Please make sure to read the next newsletter, 8/31, for I have included my thoughts on memoirs for our descendants. I am very pleased my Ancient Bards has inspired you. Thank you for that honor.