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Cripples’ Shield​-​Wall

from Sea of Dreams by Leslie Fish

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lyrics

Consider the plight of the one‑legged knight
As he braces his crutch with his shield
He'll stand still and wait 'til you come for the bait
Then you'll find that the bastard won't yield!
Do you knock his one leg down, there's still no relief
He'll crawl down the field with his sword in his teeth
And the reach of his sword‑arm defies all belief
When he fights in the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

Beware the old dame who's arthritic and lame
So knee‑sprung she barely can stand
For her hands and her eye are still steady and spry
She's the best crossbow shot in the land!
With a repeating crossbow and war‑arrow blade
She can pierce any armor that's ever been made
Be glad she's not drawn to the highwayman's trade!
She just fights in the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

No profit you'll find from the knight who is blind
He can hear you twelve paces away
He'll listen off‑hand 'til he's sure where you stand
Then his bill‑hook reaps far more then hay!
He can fight in the forest, the river, the plain
With his hearing unhampered by dark, fog or rain
He must know his ground, but he'll sure bring you pain
As he fights in the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

Pray do not go near the knight who can't hear
Though he can't tell command‑calls at all
He reads signs from his friends, and his post he defends
With a lightning fast seven-foot maul!
They say when it's whirling, it raises a breeze
And the head on its chain has been known to break trees
So when he starts swinging, the prudent man flees
Where he fights in the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

Watch out in the fight for the cripple‑armed knight
Whose hand can't swing up‑‑only down
For he'll watch through the dance 'til he spies a good chance
Then his downstroke will cost you your crown!
His shield‑arm will raise up his sword‑arm and then
He'll watch for his chance with his downstroke again
You know that he'll strike‑‑but you never know when
And he fights in the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

Beware, I implore, all you masters of war
Who prefer to draft healthy young boys
For the blind and the lame can be good at this game
When well placed, defending the toys
They've learned their art well, and they strike hard and true
If they've something to prove, then they'll prove it on you!
The last line on Earth that you'd want to drive through
You can swear is the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!
Beware of the Cripples' Shield‑Wall!

credits

from Sea of Dreams, released January 22, 2022

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Leslie Fish Phoenix, Arizona

If there's one name that's practically synonymous with filk (Science Fiction folk music), it's Leslie Fish. Leslie has written literally hundreds of songs covering almost every subject, from the space program ("Hope Eyrie"), to Star Trek ("Banned From Argo") to urban life, history, and space fantasy ("Carmen Miranda's Ghost"). ... more

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