What is Left of England?
What is left of England?
January 878. Chippenham, midwinter.
The king has fled.
The people have no king.
The people have no country.
What is left of England?
But a dream of what used to be.
February 878. Somerset Marshes, winter,
The king is hiding.
The people are lost,
And the Vikings hold the country.
What is left of England,
cannot be found.
What is left of England?
April 878. Athney, early spring.
The king is plotting.
The people are stirring.
But the Viking holds the country.
What is left of England?
But an idea of what could be.
Whitsuntide 878. Egburt’s Stone.
The king returns to the people.
The people return to the king.
But the Vikings hold the country
Will the country fight the Viking?
What is left of England?
A dream a hope a belief.
May 878. Edington. Spring.
The people fight for the king.
The king fights for the people.
The Vikings flee the country.
What remains of England,
Is stronger than the sword.
~
Richard Stephenson runs the Dreading Poetry Slam under the name The Legend that is Richard Stephenson.
He took up poetry shortly after moving to Reading towards the end of the 20th century.
He works in London as an engineer and important middle manager.