The Winter Feast

When heartless ice has scarred the ground
And nature's boom has all but ceased,
To please the Gods, to please the crown
Elvandar holds the Winter feast.

The palace drowns in wine and cheer
For fourteen winter days and nights.
From hamlets far and hamlets near 
Come those to feast and find delights.

A dozen scores of boar and fowl,
And stewed bulette and mantis eggs, 
And mountain eagle stuffed with owl,
And of course - countless scores of kegs.

...

A cockentrice with head sewn on,
A boar with legs and wings of bird,
Delights the Queen and court upon
Its golden plate - a beast absurd.

A helmed cock is next brought forth,
Atop a boar, atop a plate;
The Queen and Court find only mirth
As proud Sirknight fulfills his fate.

A fleet of ships arrive at port
upon a vessel's crimson seas
With sails of sugar, hulls of torte,
Her Majesty appears displeased.

"These ships are fine with sails so sweet
and hulls of cake upon red wine,
but We decree too small this fleet;
The present fleet is naught but nine

"The kingdom's endless wealth and grace
Supports no less than ninety sails
This fleet must find some other place
For elves it's not of fitting scale

"To humans, dwarves, or people less
With sympathy bestow this fleet.
They starve for grace, they lack noblesse
With kindness are we elves replete."

Once ships and servants leave the hall,
The feast continues as before.
With dancers, jugglers, skalds and all
To sing and dance and fill the floor.

...

-- DeVi - 24 Feb 2008

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