In sapphire skies two ravens fly,
Their feathers red like blood new shed,
And utter not a single cry
For each holds secrets in his head
That he must guard for those they serve
With ever-silent wings outspread.
The place the wheeling birds observe
Has verdant fields of fruit and flower
Surrounded by the highway’s curve
And guarded by a crimson tower
That rises high above the land,
A symbol of the Kingdom’s power
As wielded by a Baron’s hand:
A palm in peace, a fist in war,
But always firmly in command.
The tower to the sky does soar,
But no one hand built it alone
For many hearts beat at its core
And those who sit upon its throne –
The short, the tall, the fierce, the bright –
Have dedicated every stone
To those who kindle honor’s light
And with their passion feed the fire
That sees them through the darkest night.
Thus does the Barony aspire
To raise the South Downs ever higher.
This is a poem in terza rima dedicated to the Barony of the South Downs, on the occasion of the investiture of Jadi Fatima and Hajji Turahan, September 18, 2010.