O, a King

by Michael Shindler (December 2019)

Ice Clouds over Coniston Old Man, John Ruskin, 1880

O, a King in a firelit ring

Rang a bell in a field of ice,

But O, the King was sleeping

When the bell rang thrice:

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

O, that King in the firelit ring

Woke at last in the field of ice,

But O, there was no ringing

So, the King cried thrice:

“O-woe, o-woe, o-woe!”

O, gone was the bell’s firelit ring

And dark was all that field of ice,

But O, the King stopped weeping

When all echoed thrice:

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

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Michael Shindler is a writer living in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in publications including The American Conservative, The American Spectator, National Review Online, New English Review, University Bookman, and Providence. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelShindler.

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