For The Love of Leonarda.

For The Love of Leonarda.
Lee.

Trees bowed, flowers doffed their caps, bells pealed
at her appearance.
Rich man, poor man,
The great and the lowly,
Lost their minds on the sharp edge of rejection;
Not easily won is her affection.
The slick, the tricky, the smoothest tongued charmer,
Try to bewitch and gamble all,
For the love of Leonarda.

“You saw her, right,” said those wanton, drooling,
Unaware or not caring they’d spoken too loudly.
“My god, yes, yes, too pretty, too aloof,” slithered 
many a reply spoken with envious ardour.
What they’d give, how they’d give,
For the love of Leonarda.

With a peacock’s pride whilst by my side,
My heart beats loud with every stride,
Past and slicing through the jealous crowd,
Magpies one and all, coveting, gazing harder.
But not a soul in the crowing throng, know what’s needed,
For the love of Leonarda.

Ancient history wrote a kiss and tell,
Of brave King Leonidas, perishing in a Persian hell;
Who sacrificed his kingdom, people and life itself,
For his beloved, tragic Sparta.
Though I would give so much more,(seven lifetime’s more),
For the love of Leonarda.

I know her heart, I know her bed,
I kept the secrets and all she said,
But not once tried to capture her spirit nor commission 
a liars tongue to complete my own sorry story.
Instead, i’d rather take that road again;
The mysterious road shorn of light, perpetually dark,
Without an end in sight but becoming darker.
I’d do it all again, without hesitation and doubt,
For the love of Leonarda.