Good Steel

Posted by Brad Osborne on September 28, 2020 · 14 Comments 

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Steel glows a cherried red glare

Smith tosses sparks blow freed

The anvil sings its ringing song

Strong metal now born the seed

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Forge bellows with an old wife’s steam

As black coal burns to graying ash

Strong hands that grip the oak above

Bring hammer down with a crash

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Then folded back upon itself

As the steel begins to yield

Each layer building greater strength

Deadly art a pleasure to wield

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Quenched by the sweat of furrowed brow

And tempered by craft well done

Honed by stone to a razor’s edge

Damascus steel glints in the sun

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An ancient need to most it’s true

But when wielded with great skill

Art can cleave strong men in two

If that be the wielder’s will

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Filed under Poetry · Tagged with anvil, art, Damascus, forged, hammered, heat, metal, poem, Poetry, sparks, steel, strength, strict form poetry, sweat, swords