I galloped hard across the dusty plain
My hand white blanched upon the bridle rein
Rowelled silver flashing red in meted pain,
I flailed the beast with all my might and main.
Sweat foam told me in time his strength would wane,
I knew that soon their fastest steeds would gain,
And then hot lead would fly like pelting rain
Terse thoughts tore through the turmoil in my brain.

A mile or more to reach a stand of trees,
Off to my right a cliff and angry seas
And to my left rode flankers, twos and threes
Their musket balls flew by like wrathful bees,
Shod hooves drowned out my desperate god aimed pleas,
The stallion yet grew weaker in the knees
And through hot foam his mighty breath fair seethed,
My spurs now gave less pain to him than me.

Without a thought I pulled the roan far right
He stumbled but regained his footing quite,
The shining sea loomed closer in my sight
And so a resolution to my plight;
I yelled to stoke his last remaining fight,
And fired my pistol at the pressing blight,
Clenched leather in my hands with all my might
Then launched us o’er the edge and into flight —

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

The perfume of that summer burned so strong
And simmering on the air, the churr of bees,
A rill of daisies ran a full furlong
Along a split rail fence up to the trees.
There, hand in hand we walked into the field
And sat beneath a time worn gnarled oak
Whose crooked branches wove a verdant shield
Where shaded primrose deemed the day bespoke.
No time like this; the world and love as one,
A sun blessed heath awash in living joy;
Your smile more blinding than that jealous sun,
Supreme contentment no dark clouds alloyed.
How oft my mind does journey to that spot;
Two hearts ‘neath spreaded tree, pure love besot.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

With loves great strength I pulled a sword from stone
And then so armed lay siege upon your heart,
There to your grace my fealty was so sworn
Where only death might cleave that troth apart;
Amused you were that I, a self dubbed knight
With blade honed words might vie to be your king;
Mere yesterday I was a craven wight
Strained hand on hilt like timid underling;
Still none could say that sword was not fair won
And none could claim my calling was not true,
For clear in granite there so scribed upon
That proclamation grand for all to view.
With sword in hand I crouched upon a knee,
On your consent, there twice a king to be.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

My thoughts return to you yet once again
When lustrous moon reigns queen o’er all the land,
Argentic auras gilding humble pen
While darkest shadows in mute reverence stand;
I bare my soul to regal eye above
In hope that flowing ink spills silver down,
Rich hand cast words I burnish so with love
Soft set in care, as gems placed on a crown.
Tonight, though bright, no precious words I find
Though in my mind your face shines sweet and pure,
I look down at this page that I have signed
Still blank and void, indorsement premature;
The moon in clever thought advises too,
And in soft light I scribe sweet lines anew.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

Here beauty lies beneath a slab of stone
To rest in dreams and in sweet memory
And though I know her spirit has now flown,
I kneel and feel her presence next to me;
Within my mind she’ll stay forever young
And as so planned, live always by my side;
Together we will stay a precious one
And she will ever in my heart abide.
Scrived rock stays mute as tears spill down like rain,
Fond thoughts do warm, yet earth remains so cold;
I bow my head, I cannot stand the pain;
If but dear god would take me to his fold.
How can I face the world without her love?
Where lies sweet mercy from the one above?

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

You said you must go to him; I said go
For he professed some hour of dire need
And leave you did, to save his mortal soul,
Some curious bond to him you did not cede;
An empty moment later you were gone
Yet from that silence came a deafening roar,
No need to ponder why or whereupon,
Whatever love was there seemed there no more.
You love not me, yet how we came to be
Is so unclear; you left his bed and board
For arms sincere, so claimed your forlorn plea
To a trusting heart that now believes no words.
A ‘pity run’ you quipped upon return;
Goodbye I said, compassion I must learn.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

I flipped a silver coin into the air
Deciding thus upon which road to take,
That shining disc to mitigate the dare
Of walking past your house and garden gate;
For many months our hearts had been estranged
But your place lay en route to village pier
And my desire not more than to arrange
Swift passage to a land away from here.
Perhaps I might accost to say goodbye,
Perhaps I might a stony heart so feign,
Perhaps a sullen tear in your sweet eye
Might lead you there into my arms again;
The coin flies up, I catch and hold in dread
That in my palm shall lie a tail or head.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

What does she see in me with those sweet eyes
For I’m not more than but a beggar born;
What favored calculations could comprise
Her musings on my worth, thoughts not forlorn?
Perhaps not more than she should pity me-
A mongrel mutt left on the street to fend,
And of her kindness, here my bounty be
Thus I her interest but for guilt contend.
No! High compassion would not give her heart
To some sad wretch in need of charity,
Nor does her deep affection here comport
With action based in broad philanthropy.
I am quite sure she loves but me alone
Or fortune blind has placed me on this throne!

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

Apart from breathing, how gain you respect
Above that which low life forms should possess?
Unto your passage here, what laurels bedeck
Triumphs fair won through diligent finesse?
All wealth accrued through ill begotten gain,
All merit worn so weaved from black deceit,
All pleasure buoyed by other people’s pain,
All efforts greased by gall and greed complete.
Scurvy dung beetle metering out it’s time
Each day that ball of refuse larger grows;
Living off earth’s dirt and filth and grime,
Prisoner of the only life it knows.
If there be gods, one day a gracious step
Shall crush that bug so it no more beget.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.

The mortal soul must pass, yes this I know
But none have yet returned to truly tell
What vehicle of transit took them so
Or if their final stop was heaven or hell.
Yes many claim of voices heard in dreams,
Fantastic phantoms seen in seance rooms,
Strange visitations witnessed ‘neath moon beams
Or apparitions wandering in the gloom;
The only thing that’s sure is here and now,
That in my arms your blessed truth I hold,
That we have lived a life in total love
And etched our history in a book of gold.
Of what’s to come, I’ll say I have no fear;
Where love shall lead, I’m sure we’ll both be there.

© Loubert S Suddaby. All Rights Reserved.