Twisted Tower Poem by Irene C S ClarkHogg

It was an ancient place of life and love
A tower, twisted by the passage of time.
I stepped inside the ivy covered ruin,
And revelled in the thought that it was mine.


Inside the walls, I was greeted by silence.
Gone was the song of that happy bird
Who welcomed me scant seconds ago.
No scurrying animals could be heard.


I was protected from the blustering wind
That howled across the barren moor,
Not telling the secrets of the twisted tower;
But I would know soon, I was sure.


I had left civilization behind me
But a large torch dispelled the gloom
As I took my first step on the twisting stairs
That lead upwards from the room.


At first I moved quite quickly
But then my pace began to slow.
Round and round the stone steps lead me
There was a long way yet to go.


I heard the sound of other footsteps
And my heart was filled with dread.
Then I laughed, I am so silly
It was just an echo of my tread.


The steps were worn and uneven
I really must take care
I flinched away from the crumbling wall
Something had brushed against my hair.
I thought I heard someone whispering
But a breeze was all I could find
And legends of ghosts from long ago.
The tower was playing with my mind.


I really was feeling exhausted
So I sat on the steps to rest.
I would write my notes in my diary
Before attempting the final test.


Just above me a light was shining
I’d find the truth around the final bend.
I closed my book and began to climb
To the sun and my journey’s end.


Next day, not far from the twisted tower
A body lay upon the ground
With a beautiful smile upon her face
And no injuries could be found.


So another spirit now haunts the twisted tower
Where so many knights and ladies met their end
No-one knows the reason for their passing
Or what is hidden by that final bend.