Shandamaire

Beyond the dark t’ward light of day
There is a land far, far away
This place is known as Shandamaire
A little castle’s nestled there

Around this castle dark and tall
There is a garden still and small
The flowers there no longer bloom
Within their little garden room

But it was not so long ago
That you could see the flowers grow
The blossoms there were bold and bright
While welcoming the morning light

T’was then a princess young and fair
Strolled the grounds of Shandamaire
All of the birds and creatures small
Would answer to her lilting call

The princess loved her favorite toys
A dancing doll that brought her joys
With a button where one eye had been
And a sturdy soldier made of tin

The kingdom loved the charming lass
With hair of gold and skin like glass
And everything was perfect there
In the lovely land of Shandamaire

Then came an evil prince one day
To steal the princess’s land away
At first he tried to win her heart
But with her land she would not part

He decided then to make her leave
So as the kingdom knelt to grieve
He’d take it for his very own
And seat himself upon its throne

He chased the girl with golden hair
Through hallways in the castle there
Out to the garden she did flee
And begged the prince to let her be

The soldier and the dancing doll
Heard their tiny princess call
And hurried to the garden path
To stop the evil prince’s wrath

Next to the garden’s old stone wall
The princess saw the dancing doll
But the doll and soldier were too late
To save her from her awful fate

The evil prince gave her a shove
And rocks fell down from up above
The sturdy soldier made of tin
Kept the wall from falling in

But while he held the wall in place
A smile came to the prince’s face
He took the girl with golden hair
And left the land of Shandamaire

And now within the garden small
A rusting soldier holds a wall
Through winter snow and summer rains
Sturdy and stout he still remains

And high atop that garden wall
Are the remnants of a dancing doll
Its face you see is never dry
As a tear falls from its button eye

Eternally they stand and wait
For their princess by the garden gate
And if you look they still are there
In the far off land of Shandamaire