Knight-Slayer
Twelve years have gone since first I saw that maid
Who went to war with shield and spear in hand.
In shining mail and sturdy helm arrayed
She strode upon the field to make her stand.
Two knights came forth to test the lady’s skill
And each in turn soon found himself no match
For flashing steel and stalwart iron will
That saw them both upon the ground dispatched.
I came to her bare-headed and disarmed
To signal my defeat on bended knee
Submitting to the dark-eyed beauty’s charms
And asking only that she dance with me.
She took my hand and laid her own heart bare
And thus began this endless dance we share.
This is an English sonnet dedicated to my wife, Lady Adela Scrijver van Brugge. It was performed for HRM Deirdre’s Poet Laureate competition on December 6, 2009.