Running through the woods
chased by the sheriff’s men
Who are after the Hood
that has embarrassed them
By stealing from the Prince
who would be King
That rules with
fear, misery he brings
But the Hooded Man
fights for the repressed
Giving back to them
what once was theirs
A thorn in the side
he has been
This shadow, this ghost
of Sherwood green
Battled for years has
the outlaw of Sherwood
Doing all he can
for the great and the good
Now though his time
is up he knows
He’ll be buried as the
arrow flies where trees but grow
His name will pass
into legend and myth
Giving hope to
kin and kith
Maybe one day
one will come along
To sing of his deeds
and right all the wrongs
Until then only the
forest sings his name
And of his men
who fought with arrow and blade
They whisper and sigh
of the Locksley man
And now he died by
an enemies lucky hand
barbrowe
Aug 18, 2013
I’ve not read many fantasy poetry, but I like it. My husband is really into fantasy and the renaissance period. Great! God Bless, Barb
Darren Greenidge
Aug 19, 2013
Thank you again Barb. I have a few fantasy and historical poems in here. I try to do one or two every other week if I can. So glad you liked it.
withheldindarkness
Aug 19, 2013
The flow of this poem was seamless … like an arrow whizzing through the woods. Good pace and very entertaining. The imagery and wordplay put finishing touches on a well rounded poem. Loved it. Thanks for sharing.
PS – Robin Hood evokes so many tales … wonder how much truth is behind them? Does it matter anymore (i.e. has it evolved into a morale tale now that the truth is irrelevant?)
Darren Greenidge
Aug 19, 2013
Thank you again. Yes, Robin Hood, like King Arthur evokes many tales and legends that the truth of how it came about has been lost to time and dust. I certainly believe in Arthur although the story we know was from the imagination of Sir Thomas Mallory and Chrétien de Troyes who put in the Lancelot character along with a few others. There seems to be truth in the Figures of Merlin and Arthur who were Britons, not Romans but nothing can be certain unless proof exists somewhere?
As for Robin Hood? Well I was once told that behind every myth and legend lies a basic truth of someone or something that existed or happened so maybe there was a rebel who fought against tyranny of the time or maybe he was just a plain nasty criminal? We can’t be certain. Friar Tuck I read did exist, but about a hundred years or more after the event I think and he was a criminal too I believe?
I sometimes put down the country I live in but when you have so many legends like these, it kind of makes you proud and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t believe in patriotism which is ironic as both character are quite patriotic! I’m a complex bunny! 😉
Glad you liked it. I did it off the cuff.