BEWARE: Travel With Care

CAUTION: from the runestones, Beware
heed these warnings and travel with care
signboards under marquees detail crime
read signs on life's highways each time

do read under a marquee of sad, be glad
your fine daughters missed him and Vlad
for each was a terrible impaler in his day
dangerous lovers, each had an evil way

history repeats itself in evils of these men
protect your sweet daughters and women
one left a path of impaled, warning others
one took unwary on the path undercovers

the runestones warn of the ruined stones
legends in the mists of a palace of bones
where love was lured by prince too dark
something he toyed with, lark with a lark

a prince of darkness with such a treasure
for years, on each whim, deadly pleasure
cruelty behind a handsome face of a mask
making love into less ... unspeakable task

a raging black dragon flaming a front gate
oil in the moat, weed-lorn gardens of hate
gripping fear, how quickly this fine palace
became a rotting prison of refined malace

her dark lover ignoring any pleading calls
the harsh fates, psyche bouncng off walls
silent sobs, moanings inside tangled hair
a pride's tear-streaked face no longer fair

slab trembling, thick stone groaning walls
slipping back, there's black ice in the halls
great chill moves like a glacier grinding in,
too faint heart's resolve soon frozen within

don't bother, legions of great white knights
again search as for a chalice, many nights
can't save her in such cairn, locked room
lost deep in the labyrinth of a castle tomb

once she was willingly drawn, lover hazy
which one is now the more fey, too crazy
so waiting love's doom by darkside moon
and no word from him now, nor last boon

take away his quills, this Marquis of sad
de Sade has found more ways to be bad
than any prince so blessed with so much
prey, pray your family was never touched

(c) 2003 AnnLeigh Clair McGregor aka Rennie Lorca

References are to Vlad the Impaler, the worst example of war abuse in ancient days with his prisoner on a stick warnings; bloody tyrant believed the inspiration for Dracula ... the other, for the Marquis de Sade, once prince of the sexually depraved and sad, as willing to sweet young things often disappeared after his country castle orgies.