The Lambton Worm
By Richard H. Fay
youthful roguery
Holy Sabbath spent fishing
strange evil hauled in
squirming eldritch worm
a nearby well deep and dark
fell catch discarded
brave crusading knight
seven long years overseas
folly forgotten
a growing menace
wound three times around a hill
ravenous devil
woolly flocks consumed
every dairy cow drained dry
countryside ravaged
diabolic beast
severed pieces recombine
immortal terror
the castle threatened
costly daily ritual
destitute estate
lordly dilemma
wise-woman consultation
clever solution
spike-studded armour
bloody fight in the river
the worm defeated
Originally published Dec 2007 in the webzine Aphelion
Legend of the Lambton Worm rewritten as a series of haiku — "The Lambton Worm", originally published Dec 2007 in the webzine Aphelion and also published Aug 2023 in Cosmic Journeys and Gothic Visions.
#poem #poetry #haiku #lambtonworm
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