THE PILGRIM

[KateManiac@aol.com]

For Kate:

                             And a knight of Burgundy, Payens
                             brought his favored eight together
                             Crusaders all, champions of God
                             not far from Troyes, where one day
                             Chretien would set to mythic page
                             the famed tale of the most holy Grail.

                             Said he to them, "this order new
                             founded in chivalry, with obedience,
                                                chastity and with an oath to
poverty
                             and our solemn dedication to guard
                             the pilgrim on his way to Jerusalem."
                             They knelt and swore faith, and fealty.

                             Blessed by the Cistercian, Bernard 
                             they took up arms and with crosses
                             scarlet on the shoulder of their tunics
                                             they did set sail for the
promised land
                             a blessed charter in the desert east
                                               where once he dwelt, King
Solomon.

                             There in the realm of the righteous
                             stands a house sacred to our God.
                                                For two centuries Christian
pilgrims 
                             from every far corner of  the world
                             were well-protected in their devotions
                             by the Knights they call the Templar.
                         
                             Charity has its clever enemies
                             and so the King of France, Philip
                             whom they called "the fair," plotted
                             to destroy the most sacred covenant
                             between the priestly soldiers of God 
                             and the traveller to the Holy Land.

                             Night of treason, night of torture,
                             as the Templars taken prisoner
                             made to sign the deeds of heresy
                             that would send them to the fire.
                             What of chastity, and of noble
                             declarations to their lord, Jesus?

                             Secular villains have their reasons
                             as they put to death these heroes
                             and the last, the saint de Molay
                             being led to execution whispered 
                             a final sweet prayer to his God
                             for the soul of the holy Templars.


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