Blessed, bold, but berated, Bromdun found himself by the bull’s pen
Where beauty beheld him wonted He had loved the beauty, but bold
Was she, to shew away all great loves For he was shown a Ziddonian
And she was an Israelite sure; Thus, the two fell to showers of salt
Eating beneath the fig fruit Which dropped forbearing upon the forts of love.
There forbidden fruit dropped Forlorn, the two forgat that love was forbidden
As the green fruit upon the Forbidden trees.
Delicious it was, to dote In the nude upon the delicacies of love.
Yet, the families disapproved Desperate to separate the young turtledoves.
They forbade the marriage Of these two young mates.
The two, at the precipice of love’s clinch Drew back, and did not beget, nor elope.
No priest would permit them to marry “You are too young!” cried the priest
Cried the family, cried the friends. The two were familiar as spousemates,
But for friend and family The feat never took but for a farce.
She scorned him. She scoured him.
Not because she hated him, But because they hated him,
Who like a brother to her But much deeper, with sibling rivalry
The two loved not with farce But with zeal. Forswear to know
The forbidden love cost the two Their couth, and sanity.
These could not even seal Their bond with sex.
For on the threat of discovery, The two were too daunted to be at ease.
At the appropriate age for love Neither appeared, but rather abhorred the other.
Their hatred grew cold, For love could not be clinched.
For the family’s futility, Neither could fraternize, and therefore
Seal their loves. Such might be the best that they left it alone.
For, unlike Hannai and Jeroboam They could not seal under
The mandrakes, nor the fig tree blossoms. They could not seal, berated
By friend and ally, Both were made cold, forsworn,
They could not seal Their sex, for they were not married.
Thus, the hatred never grew, But instead healed him.
She hurt and pined Yet could love him nonetheless.
For his Chivalry prevailed, And they were not thrust into unsure desires
Which makes bitter hatred in hearts More broken than prevented pollination.
For they did not Imprison the lieges
Nor torture them in their dungeons, Nor disembowel them
Because of love prevented. For dammed love is the most vitriol hatred
And lovers tasted of the wine Of salts hate one another most cruel.
Veiled of love, the consorts, Nor the curious slaves and vassals
Were hurt, nor the Christians, Nor the commoners.
For if Hannai and Jeroboam are a lesson, Forbidden love jeers the soul
Of its goodness, And the only power to grow good again
Is to forgive The fruitless feast of love.
For Theodore Marmaduke Maligned the parents with spies
To tell the whole, What the two young lovers behooved
And spread rumors false About flower petals.
Thus, the parents hated him But Theodore Marmaduke had made a horrible mistake.
By never tasting love’s alight The two’s love could last
To platonic forms Formidable, even to forgive the shame
Shown when Bromdun Bereaved of all breast of heart
Could not be but a coward And so converse with his comrade.
For she knew Bromdun’s shame But hid it in her bosom, that he was not but show
But a good, unloved man. For she taught him love unconditional;
For that her heart beat For her breast, knowing that forbidden was that heartbeat.
B. K. Neifert 