THE STORYBOOK The Shadow Lands

Deep in the lands of Shadows Dark,
A sorcerer did live,
High in the 'Halls of Gandergell',
Where lightning flashed and thunder rolled,

A place where dragons filled the air,
Where volcanic ash like rain did fall,
A place where creatures vile did live,
They roam and slay with ease!

Within the shadows, love was dead,
Faith and hope long gone,
Cruelty the drink of choice,
Blood like rivers ran.

The ogre and the troll did dance,
The banshee, ghoul and nix,
The goblin and the hag rejoiced,
Evil thrived unchecked.

Great hatred for this lord of Light,
The sorcerer did hold.
He brooded in his darkened halls,
A way to destroy him!

And then he took his book of spells,
An old and dusty tome,
Discovered in an ancient tomb,
He then its spells recite.

A bag of magic seeds he made,
Concocted from a dozen spells,
He cackled in his mirth and glee,
Envisioning what would come.

Within the lands of Crystal Light,
The magician had now gone.
A journey to another land,
A realm beyond all time!

The sorcerer transformed himself,
A bird of beauty - song so sweet,
He hovered near the borderlands,
Awaiting just one chance.

A woman young did play and sing,
She gathered flowers there.
The bird she spotted, heard it sing,
She beckoned unto it.

The bird did come as summoned now,
It flew unto the girl.
Now within the land of Light,
His plans he would fulfil.

When darkness fell and night drew near,
The sorcerer took flight.
Arriving in the garden court,
His seeds began to sow.

From north to south, from east to west,
Within the garden fair,
His magic seeds did burrow down,
And soon began to grow.

Lethargy, laziness, gossip, grew,
Jealousy, sloth and apathy,
Avarice, lust, and wrath did sprout,
Anger, envy, gluttony,

Deceit, pride and vanity,
Malice, pain and cruelty,
Resentment, ire and worldliness,
Slander, hatred, bitterness,

Reaching out the weeds did grow,
Infecting everywhere.
Choking, killing, murdering plants,
The weeds grew everywhere.

As day did dawn the people came,
Alarm! Shock! Dismay!
Slowly, slowly, they did change,
Evil entered in.

Anger at this evil deed,
Pain and sorrow too.
Soon the fingers start to point,
Then the tongues did wag.

This one, that one, over there,
The blame did quickly spread.
Words to start but deeds did follow,
Till blows begin to fly.

How quickly they did fall it seemed,
Under the evil spell,
Blaming each with lying tongues,
Destroying other's names.

Clouds of gray and black appeared,
Rats did skitter round.
Whispers in the air hung nigh,
Spirits entered in.

Jealousy its seeds did sprout,
Within the hearts of man,
Envy for each other grew,
Avarice did bite.

Oh the weeds of evil deeds,
Soon were spun around,
Stealing, lying and deceit,
They flowered in the sun.

Evil spread it covered all,
It was invited from within.
Ghouls and ogres,
Trolls and orcs did happily comply.

Evil dragons - fire did breath,
Witches cackle - werewolves prowl,
Vampires hunt while banshee cries,
Death like rivers flowed!

The sorcerer did laugh and laugh,
His plan had worked so well,
The land of light and love would fall,
Beneath his powerful spell,

Neighbour turned on neighbour old,
Child on parents too,
Brother fought with brother dear,
Oh the tears that fell.

Whispers in the night did come,
Mists and fog appeared,
Foul the crystal waters turned,
The nightingale did flee.

Trees did wither neath the blight,
Crime did take a hold,
Swords were made from ploughshares fine,
Blood began to flow.

Murder, war, the rule of thumb,
Deceit, the air to breathe,
Selfishness and hate did dance,
Within the hearts of men,

Yet, some did stand up for the right.
Some found hope and faith.
Courage came from fearful hearts,
Strength from adversity

In unity some found new hope,
To resist spirits vile,
From hope and faith came tools of war,
To battle evil hordes,

In sorrows tears grew inner strength.
Through pain, they overcame,
The battle now was fierce and long.
Yet truth would not submit.

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