Muse for Monday

Mantra

When there is a damsel in distress, there is always a knight ready with lance and shield in hand, to charge into battle for his lady fair. Mantra thinks this is a fairy tale. Can she convince you?

In the fairy tale version, the knight is a healthful, youthful man filled with chivalry and abundant courage. He is the man of the young girl’s princess dreams.

But then there is reality…

Women see men with different lenses than the idealist wannabe princess. They find different ones attractive: different heights, different shapes, different ages. They weigh characteristics like ambition, courage and ingenuity differently on an individual basis. In life, they understand the trade off for character is far more important than the pretty package which first catches their eye.

What happens when the trade off does not happen? Mantra brings you a modern day knight who may not have seen how important it was to sharpen different skills as others faded away.

Simply titled Rust, this narrative poem reveals what happens we get caught up in the everyday and let the events preclude our care of the ravages of time.

Rust

Tonight, the angels all have broken wings.
The rescuers bowled over like scattered pins.
No electricity flows through the lines,
And the signal has been interrupted.

For once, the need arose for you to mount
A trustworthy steed and charge into the fray.
Yet, there you stand, mired to the ground
In the shambles of your life disrupted.

Your charger lay on the lawn, emaciated
The froth on his breast and lips coarse and stiff.
His knotted legs could not support his weight,
Much less carry you victoriously again.

Your armor lay crumpled upon the floor,
Covered in neglectful dust of uselessness.
Even were it clean, it no longer fits.
Complacent girth could never get in.

Your weapon stands lazy on the bureau top.
Its hammer rusted solid. Its firing pin laid dull.
The shield is near, but with no more care.
Its shine is gone in scratches and dimpled dents.

In folly, you march toward battle unarmed
With nothing more than bluster and pride.
You tramp before the demons raised high
Above the castle which was to be your own.

Battlements tumbled in evil laughter.
Blood poured out upon the stone.
A fiend hisses, “Fine sir, where were you?”
Unwitting, your only answer: “I didn’t hear the phone.”

260720121807
(c) Red Dwyer

~~~~~~~~~~


Have you ever missed the call to come to a loved one’s aid? Has “life” ever gotten in the way of taking care of yourself or those nearest you? Are you caught up in the everyday? Could you jump to someone’s rescue if you were needed?

Is the knight incommunicado? 

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
Re-Blogging of this or any other post on Momma’s Money Matters
is expressly forbidden.
Copyright and Privacy Policy available
in The Office. 
Previous Post
Next Post
Leave a comment

38 Comments

  1. get me a knight quick red im always in need hope your well looks like your busy being a mother gran and brilliant writer and forgot to say wife xxjen
    jennygoth recently posted..New Theme: BalloonsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Now, Jen, I see you as the damsel with the sword!! <3 So very nice to see you tonight. Hope you had a wonderful weekend! xxx

      Reply
  2. You and I have talked so often of our knights errant, late to the fight or yelling ‘run honey’ as they charge ahead of us from the battle.

    Woe, tidings late in the day of their busy times and distracted minutes, turns on the roads leading away.

    Rust indeed my sister, my tower doors open and rooms empty out to the courtyard more rapidly than the prince knows.

    Reply
    • Methinks the tower has already emptied. It would be a far better venture than rebuilding these parapets.

      Reply
  3. Life has certainly gotten in the way of taking care of myself on more than one occasion. Responsibilities call, life calls and through inadvertence I neglected myself way too often. I’m remedying that slowly but surely. It’s pretty simple, my daughter came first, I took a back seat.

    Absolutely, if someone needed my help and I was able to do it, I would … Although, if it requires duct tape, a handgun and my bringing the shovel, I’d have to think about it. LOL !

    Reply
    • I have a bag of lime…does that help?

      Reply
      • Hahaha! What a good idea! Hand truck too… I think that’d just be wise.

        Reply
        • Have one of those, too 😉

          Reply
          • aahhahaha! Meet you out back. I just have to stop at the store and get gloves.

          • Got those…Plenty of those!

          • Yah but I need my own how am I going to put … you know, that “item” in my car? DNA and all that stuff…one must be careful you know. And wear a hair net okay? 🙂

            Okay. It’s official. We know too much.

          • Oh, you mean the giant roll of Visqueen? It comes in widths of 10, 20 and 30 feet. Then again, there is the tarpaulin method. Yeah, I am pretty sure we know why too much. But just think, there are only a couple thousand witnesses to eliminate 🙂

          • What witnesses? I don’t see any witnesses and they didn’t see anything either. At the end of the day, it’s hard evidence that puts people away … the rest is mere speculation from those with an imagination who have watched too many movies and/or read too many books.

            Bwaahahaha! (I think I just went over to the other side… but, you can’t really prove it. (insert peals of laughter here.)

          • I think if we frame it correctly, we can get script recommendations to make this entire affair far more plausible 🙂 Is that not the JOB of editors???? *wicked grin*

          • YES … then we could blame them… no? 🙂 hahaha!

          • Great minds think so much alike 😉

  4. I would love a knight or two in my life. Yes, in the past I believe that I have been that knight for others but not every time I should have been. Life got in the way and if there had been any way of knowing the consequences beforehand, I would have made more of an effort to be there.
    Wendy Reid recently posted..20 Awesome QuotesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ah, the cracked crystal ball. I think we all have them. Manufacturer’s defect.

      Reply
  5. Forget a friggin knight, a decent man would be a good start 😉
    Friggin Loon recently posted..Bearman, Have You Heard?My Profile

    Reply
  6. I’ve gone. loaded gun in pocket. Saddled on trusty steed (ok…pickup truck).

    Thankfully all that was needed was to arrive and the only bravery required was going.

    MJ
    MJ Logan recently posted..Merry Go RoundMy Profile

    Reply
  7. I am a sucker for medieval stuff and knights and metaphors. Love it.
    Alexandra Heep recently posted..You Might be a Facebook Addict if:My Profile

    Reply
  8. In the roleplaying/Dungeons & Dragons version the knight goes in to rescue the damsel in distress from the dragon, but the player rolls a “1” botching his attempt and ends up going from being a hero to “canned human”. Cooked in under a minute.

    😀
    The Heretic recently posted..Easy MoneyMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Is this about me??
    Binky recently posted..Shallow LifeMy Profile

    Reply
  10. The other day, I was painting my toenails, remembering how I didn’t even have a chance to paint my toes when the kids were little. There just wasn’t time. So I just stopped wearing sandals. I still remember that and consider it a luxary of time when I paint my nails, just so I can look better.
    Barb recently posted..Planning My WordPress AfterlifeMy Profile

    Reply
    • That is a great example. I just engage everyone in the toe painting. Clear nail polish works on boys when the grown folk frown on girly things for boys.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Friggin Loon Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.