I, King

Morning light shines through the windows,
And I wake up from my sleep,
Birds sing in their silent meadows,
While I hear their freedom from my keep.
I put on my crown of iron blades,
The power of authority pushing my humanity down,
As the beauty and life wonders through green glades,
I ignore it all with cold eyes and a frown.
In my hall, where the whispers of my people flow,
I sit on my oaken throne, watching them all,
Noblemen raise concerns, their honour high and low,
But I must hear them all, for my kingdom must not fall.
In court, I am wearing my royal gown,
 in battle, I were my plate and mail,
for I must represent my town,
And in battle, I mustn’t fail.
Swords are raised to me by squires, generals, knights,
I am a loved man, but not filled with love,
My wife is not the sweet, sweet dove,
Nor children easing wintry nights.
Folks of all kinds are gathering around my banner,
Other kings praising my fortress and land,
Yet I cannot hold with my people a friendly manner,
And I offer the rulers an iron hand.
Everything is like a game of chess,
Pushing the pieces back and forth,
Without a mistake, without a doubtful guess,
observing my kingdom like a crow’s nest.
…

Aye, you may ask why I speak about how I rule,
To you, filled with youth, ideas, and dreams,
While I stiffly watch my entertaining fool,
Hearing my dead men’s screams.
My friends, a king’s life is a life of eternal duty,
Everything is a tool to use,
You mustn’t enjoy any feelings, not even a just fury,
And about love you never again muse.
A ruler must have a mind of ice, a heart of steel,
Never underestimating any foe,
A lord sees his subjects work, his royal allies kneel,
Casting satisfaction and woe.
You do not know what it is to be in this role,
Deaf to glory, deaf to a single irrelevant thing,
The most important thing of all is my ultimate goal,
Why? For I am the king.