Disappointments

A castle sat upon a hill, a fortress once great and strong.
It ruled over a mighty kingdom that once had known no wrong.

But time passed by and with each sigh another stone was dust.
Nothing could save what Despair did crave as true love turned into lust.
With each new defeat, they would repeat that “next time” they would win;
But after each failed try, they could only cry and fail to win again.

The deluge of tears over the years had worn the great walls down.
And from each drip spirits did dip and slowly all did drown.
Not one great blow from some mighty foe had brought down the castle grand;
Just hit by hit and bit by bit marched the armies made of sand.

The King had tried while his nation died to solve its’ atrophic descent,
But with each new plan he grew more wan; came no answers Heaven sent.
He could only mourn what the Gods did scorn and slowly lose grasp on Hope,
For his kingdom was done, despair had won, no more could the King cope.

“My people dear, I sadly fear our kingdom is no more.
Lament its’ end, every good friend, our defeat I do deplore.
But I am old, my future cold, so tis not for me I weep.
It is for you, you wretched few, for the promises I could not keep.

It is not right to have to fight each day of misery.
There should be joy for each girl and boy, but despair is all I see.
I have failed you again, my enduring sin, more times than I can count.
And now all that remains are sorrows and pains that I no more can mount.”

And with this last cry the King did die and his people let out a wail.
At least he had led, this King now dead, though he could only fail.
“What could have been done,” wondered each one, “to have changed our fate?
Some mistake made, prayers not prayed, a solution not too late?”

But each person knew, and now did rue, that Hope was the one to blame.
They’d believed every lie and could now only sigh at how they’d lost this game.
Each bet they’d cast had been too fast, but they could not stop to change.
And now the goal that the Truth stole was far beyond their range.

The sun rose again in this glum land and the people hoped once more,
But they could not see it for the bomb that grated their very core.