A King

By Cliff Lake

 

A King

 

“A king” he said and taxed their gold,

Demanded homage to names of old.

And gems collected and silver too,

Assumed and thought it was his due.

 

Orders came, backed by the sword,

At spear’s behest more riches stored.

A mountain of bounty he caused builded,

He would have all he saw gilded.

 

Set himself above the land,

No labor would he take to hand.

Dressing only in the finest cloth,

A king, some said, only of sloth.

 

Hungrily he gathered wealth,

Famished for the gold itself.

An aching that he could not shed,

A vacancy constantly fed.

 

Sat upon the gold he could not eat,

Exacting fealty to ancient seat.

Feeding only on his conceit,

His people more valued sheaves of wheat.

 

His bones they found in later years.

No record is found of their shed tears.

Nor is found of him great acclaim,

A king he was only in name.

 

Cliff Lake 12/28/2024

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024

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