Ferdinand The Swift

The story of a courageous warrior who fought for the freedom of people...

Long ago, in ancient times,

When the land was unsafe and warriors roamed,

When everything was a supposed lie,

And ancient texts were sacred tomes...

There was a warrior bold and strong,

With speed and feints he won,

All enemies would be gone,

And he was hero to all...

When he entered battle he would yell his battlecry,

And all enemies would shiver in fear,

For he was the best hero in the land,

And all his foes would hear:

 

"I am Ferdiand the Swift, hero to all,

And with quick jabs you shall fall,

My blades strike true every swing,

Even without my fancy ring,

Serrated edges shall cut into your bone,

Leaving your blood upon cold stone,

Your death will be quick, a favor for sure,

Unless of course you ask for more,

 Gold I will gain for you death,

A bottle or two of Dragon's Breath,

A lass upon my lap for a night,

All because of this simple fight,

Enough talk and banter dear beast,

Tonight I wish for a wonderful feast,

Die now, evil being,

A quick rain of death I shall bring!"

 

After moments his enemies would die,

Their fluids staining the earth,

All people would rise,

Cheering for his bravery...

He would be praised and rewarded,

For many days on end,

His deeds would be recorded,

And passed upon the wind...

Peace did not last long, though,

For another opponent appeared,

A hydra of evil appearances,

A dreadful being to be feared...

One hero went on his way though,

To find this ghastly being,

All the way through rain and snow,

Over mountains and hills a'rolling...

When finally he came upon a cave,

Without a trace of fear,

He entered and gave a deep bellow,

For only the beast the hear:

 

"I am Ferdiand the Swift, hero to all,

And with quick jabs you shall fall,

I fear no beast with many brains,

For they sponsor no positive gains,

Serrated edges shall cut into your bone,

Leaving your blood upon cold stone,

Your death will be quick, a favor for sure,

Unless of course you ask for more,

 I shall be rewarded for my strength of arm,

And return full of charm,

My blades are yours to keep,

I shall grant them very cheap,

I will plunge them deep in your heart,

Then with joy I shall depart,

Die now, evil being,

A quick rain of death I shall bring!"

 

Battles begin and battles end,

With swings and stabs of lethal precision,

Well did the man defend,

Though it could have been a bad decision...

Hours later a broken man,

Exited the cavern,

Hours he traveled with a cane,

Until he arrived at the tavern...

He lay upon a warm bed,

Alone and cold,

That night he wasn't fed,

Nor was his story told...

Ferdinand the Swift's reign of justice was at an end,

The hydra lay dead in its lair,

Lucky were the townspeople that the hydra was the end,

Their troubles were gone, true and fair...

At night some claim to hear his cry,

It sails upon the wind to any ear,

The people listen and ask why,

Only one response they hear:

 

"I was Ferdinand the Swift, hero to all,

Although I knew one day I would fall,

I fought fearlessly and without weak arm,

Sometimes I wielded only my charm,

With my prowess I defeated foes,

I dismembered many toes,

My opponents' deaths were quick and swift,

'Twas my only friendly gift,

When I returned I earned much gold,

And all of my quests were readily told,

I slept well and was restored,

I would always wake ready for another horde,

My companion blades were always ready,

And my hands always steady,

I am gone now, though, and I will always be,

From this world I have been set free..."

Author's Note

(Note from Feb 2012): This is definitely one of my favorites! This is another poem from my later high school years, one that always amazes me by how much people love it. My idea for this first came about when I realized that as much as I love fantasy (both reading and writing it), I had never actually written a fantasy poem. The task seemed a bit daunting at first, but then I decided to use a character that I had already created as the basis for my poem. Since my character already had a very comical, boastful attitude, the tone for the poem came very easy. I'm not even entirely sure where the idea came about for the battlecries, but I am glad that I included them! As much as I do love this poem, there are many things I wish I had changed: such as rhyming in certain areas that didn't follow through and goofy sounding lines. Overall, though, I am very happy with what I did, and I hope to write another fantasy poem in the future. As always I appreciate any and all thoughts: critiques, suggestions, and analyses. Thanks :)

Last, but definitely not least, I would like to thank Sarah a whole, whole bunch for her support and choosing my poem as the winner for her fantasy poem contest! I appreciate it, Sarah!

Reviews

[Sarah]

CONGRATULATIONS THIS POEM IS AMAZING! ^_^ I loved the epic fantasty description, and the dialogue by Ferdinand the Swift. Especially the second stanza! Even though the poem is rather long (don't worry - they're the best!) I was never bored, in fact, I was sad when it ended! Great job! I can't wait to read more. :)