Quiet Verses
Poems written in stillness and wonders
From the Archive:
This poem is an ekphrastic response to a digital painting created by the artist, Nathan May. It was written as an unpublished paper, the text remains, and with some revisions, the poem itself remains one of my favourite light-hearted pieces.
NF May “The Last Knight” (n.d.)
The Last Knight
When the full moon dips its head among those clouds
the speck of shattered lights reveals who you are.
Suddenly, everything around you is black
and only your shadow flies across the moon.
Why did you turn your head away from the light?
Is it sadness from a broken heart,
from the world of suffering,
or the pain of a shattered dream?
There are some things real about you. Your weather-beaten face bears the endless burning of the ferocious sun. Your rugged skin and deep wrinkles hold the memories that time refused to erase.
You’re tired and weary,
ignoring the wind that freezes
every fibre of your being.
Are you waiting for something worth holding on to?
Is it a miracle that will never come?
You seem almost invisible,
yet you are in plain sight
on a parched landscape.
A nameless mysterious soul–
an ancient and medieval kind.
Perhaps you came here to beg
for shelter,
for food,
a drink of water,
a warm place to sleep.
The stench of dried sweat clinging to your robe
is like an old faithful friend keeping you warm.
You bob your head down
to hide your face from the lights.
No one should see you.
No one knows who you are,
or what you become.
Your long beard grizzled with white and grey,
cradles your broad masculine jaws.
You stand in a vast and fabled soil–
spiritless,
frazzled,
and gaunt.
But here, the artist in front of this canvas perfected a hand stroke that brought you to life. Perhaps, it is the young artist’s high spirit and his dream of chivalry that brings you here.
You are the last Knight.
He wants you to live again to fight your war.
You won the toughest battles
so, what are you fighting for this time?
Who are you?
Are you the boy
who drew the blade from the earth
the immortal king,
worthy of the crown?
Did you return to win back what was once yours? Have you healed the wounds of betrayal and sins?
The dark and barbaric wars
under your feet
were swiftly blown away
by the restless wind.
And–
Did you know,
The empyrean kingdom of Camelot
had perished many thousands of years ago,
Your Highness.
–Ninagracia
Till next time.
Cheers!
Source:
May, N. (2021). CWG200 Writing Poetry [Unpublished Paper] Curtin University.
ninagracia.com 