Special Feature: "Ghazal: In the Tower" by the Editor

Ghazal:  In the Tower

Steven Wittenberg Gordon

Pretty princess imprisoned high in the tower,

Forsaken and scared she will cry in the tower.

By wicked step-mother or by witch or by spell

Placed there and expected to die in the tower.

Perhaps it was jealousy, perhaps it was greed,

Or prophesy meant to defy in the tower.

Whatever the cause, the unfortunate maiden

Is there.  There’s no need to ask why in the tower.

But what’s this?  A handsome prince arrives on the scene

And causes the maiden to sigh in the tower.

For she falls in love with him forever always

And desperately wants this new guy in the tower.

She will help the prince climb up and claim his sweet prize.

‘Tis doubtful on wits she’ll rely in the tower

But rather on hair or the lure of her body--

A princess must learn to be sly in the tower.

With the aid of her charms or the wide wings of love,

The prince will arrive by and by in the tower.

Swollen with lust, he will not wait to ravish her,

But she will be not at all shy in the tower.

Afterwards, he’ll carry her off to his castle

And put her--guess where?  My oh my!  In the tower!

The leaves of the Stevia plant, while they taste sweet

Nourish not--as love is a lie in the tower.

Poet's Notes:  This is one of my experiments with the ghazal form.  I like the irony and irreverence here, a nod to the "real" stories behind children's fairy tales.  It is traditional to work the poet's name into the final stanza--I had fun doing that as well.