The Tragedian

by Bill Erwin

Attend me now, for to my head it came
To tell the story of one king, Lear by name
Oh, it may sound familiar to your ear;
There is a version by Shakespeare
But you know the Bard, he doth ramble so
He tells the story artfully but he tells it slow
So if you do not need literary consecration
Please list to me, I'll give the story's quick summation:

You see, there were three daughters; two were bad one was not
There were two sons; one was quite the bastard and the other, Littamont
There were eleven deaths, one suicide, one lord had his eyes gouged out...
Now, this is only speaking nobility-wise; the common folk, they died like flies
For, in consequence of everything I've said before,
There was in this country a civil war
Which so distressed the ladies, and the gentle men,
That the King gave some speeches...and went cuckoo in the end.

(bow)