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The monarch lay abed, his rule nearly ended.
The wizard had been called, to His Majesty attended.
Arcane words she recited, and gestured with her staff,
And tonics and elixirs she had her master quaff.
She intended to invoke some supernatural demon,
Instead she did evoke memories of a better season.
Of times when the wizard had used her mystic power
To support her liege's statecraft in a fateful hour.
Thru the dismal night her anxious vigil she maintained,
Like a faithful knight, guarding with his might and main.
But a final breath was taken, a final heartbeat thumped,
A wizard, how e'er mighty, by death was always trumped.
He had lived like a righteous king, beloved by his people.
Mournfully his death was tolled out from every steeple.
Nice poem!
But why hasn't the Jumble changed? This is my 3rd site visit, but it's stuck on yesterday's cartoon.
Yes, I like the poem too. And especially the last part, with the climactic phrase built up to so logically.
(But doesn't wizard normally refer to a man and witch to a woman? I'll have to LIU.)
Good thing I do the Jumble in a print newspaper. The King is in mine.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I had a computer crash while I was putting it together last night, and must have gotten confused.
A witch in a royal court? Witches and their male version warlock generally keep to themselves. But I couldn't recall any female equivalent for wizard. But in the general-neutral spirit of the times, I opted to just call her a wizard. BTW, I started this as both being male, but pronouns got confusing, so switched to queen and male wizard, but that had problems too, so finally went with this final version. If you can find a term for a female court magician with the same cadence, I'll change it.
Yes, actually I just assumed you were righting the traditional imbalance a bit. Plaudits for your solution.
(And I can certainly see the potential problem with a queen in Graceland.)
Interesting poem, Owen. I too found the genders a little confusing, and appreciated your explanation of what made this so complicated for you. But always love your opening poem, and this one nicely displayed all the words and the delightful reveal at the end. I had a problem only with #3 and had to work on this a bit. But the solution fell into place very quickly, and I loved this cartoon and its answer. Guess I'll never live like a queen, but I still like my little place in Laguna Beach.
Thank you for explaining the gender issue, Owen. I also had doubts. On the Jumble, except for #3 my mind evoked them quickly. It's the only one I had to write otherwise I juggled the letters in my head.
Misty, I echo your sentiments and though my condo is small, I feel as though I live like a queen in my own domain.
Owen, in Spanish we have a curandera (healer); would that work?
Morgan(le fey) was Merlin's counterpart . Being written much after Arthur's time the Idylls were naturally sexist. In modern accounts Merlin's not so pure .
I had to use #s 1,2 and 4 to solve the riddle. Then I found the two letters not used, stuck them in the middle and presto*:
DAMSIL . TADA!!! OOPS. Well it could, it should, be spelled that way . But...
Back to the drawing board, switch those two middle and finally things brightened up .
WC
*That's Wizard vernacular
Sorcerer, sorceress ...
Good idea, I think, but there is that extra syllable that changes the meter.
Yes, but No, not really ...
Owen will understand: the extra syllable is easily absorbed because, like Wizard, the single accent is on the first syllable, and that's what counts.
A little ditty with a wizard
From Id they came
of cartoon Fame
The Wizard and the jester
playing a riddle game
which had no name
the wizard post this tester
o
On charlesbank dine
with choice of Fine Wine
pick of salads Galore
The roast beef so tender
good service they render
all this midst Exquisite Decor
Got it said the Sot
With scarcely a thought
Rib Room Hotel Sonesta
WC
Oops , Posed this tester
WC
So -- sorc'ress? "The sorc'ress had been called...". Could work.
Sure, you could do that.
You don't have to, but you could...
Apologies for putting on my professorial mortarboard, but...
Today's poem is a variation of heroic verse, with a basic hexameter line. I'm sure you see that Owen interchanges iambs and anapests at will - & mixes feminine and masc. endings.
Whether he uses a trochee ("Wizard") or a dactyl ("Sorceress") makes little difference to the six-count line. The positioning of the article ("The") affects the following words, of course; the word "had" takes the next stress in either case, whether as an iambic foot (da-DUM) or an anapest (da-da-DUM).
Again, my apologies. I don't want to show off, just follow-up with what I can offer.
In the end it is all a matter of Owen's taste, fertile mind, & truly extraordinary skill.
A king while he lived - an icon for many - Hail Elvis P!
Down in the dumps he sought narco relief. Bid him R.I.P.
That's what I do? Wall glory be! I jest try and make each line have the same number o' accented syl-LAB-les! What ones don't have an accent, thems don't count!
Good poem, Wilbur! But isn't it missing a stanza?
A penultimate one like:
Tell me my friend
How this riddle will end --
While you're thinking, I'll take a siesta.
Well, shucks, Owen,
Ya sound 'bout as folksy as a shufflin' hayseed chawin' on a wad o' t'backy. We'uns 'd niver guess ya wuz up to makin' such fancy-ass rhymes!
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