The Great Guns of Ayonne

Sitting silent near three score but one

Lay resting the great guns of Ayonne

In silent introspection thinking back

Upon the days of havoc wrought

From their mounts upon Resistance's decks,

A quiet array

On the shore by the bay.

Decommission put aside

The old warship of pride

So the great guns of her decks

Were mounted on the shore

To defend Ayonne's port of bay,

And so they sit today.

Many nights they quiet listened

And light reflected glistened

Off the Silver Sea upon the canons

Forty feet in length,

And few alive remember

Their fury and anger.

Such a night was this of calm

And all the bay was sleeping

But the soldiers keeping watch

And the gunners in their turrets

Who tended the sky

Should the old foe draw nigh.

Of a sudden came alive the first

That shook the ground and filled the earth

Like a quake from the burst

Of reciprocating plasma fire,

And recoil slamming

From fire streaming.

The Lord and Lady jumped awake

To rush upon the window

Just in time to see a second

Of the great guns come alive,

And one by one awoke

The old great guns upon the bank.

"Surely not, my love," breathed Dai,

"Surely we would know of their return?"

"The old guns would not awaken,"

Lord Tom quiet spoke to the sight

Of four and twenty great guns

Streaming fire in the night,

"Except for the return

"Of Old Realm's fleet."

Softly spoke Lady Dai,

"I shall stir the Houses

"And rouse our defenses,

"While you, love, must command

"Our forces as one,

"For war is come."

The sirens cried aloud into the dark

And people emerged in streams

To move in mass to bunkers

As their grandparents had long before,

"And to think in my days this would come,"

Lord Tom spoke into the night.

Joseph Parsons Copyright©2015