{"id":3024,"date":"2017-01-17T17:56:45","date_gmt":"2017-01-17T17:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/?p=3024"},"modified":"2020-04-03T13:54:44","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T19:54:44","slug":"the-castle-on-the-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2017\/01\/17\/the-castle-on-the-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"The Castle on the Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"
    \n
  1. A castle sat upon the hill, where all the power lay:<\/li>\n
  2. The storehouse, armoury lay inside, the treasury, every day.<\/li>\n
  3. The ruler and his dozen knights would tax the peasants poor,<\/li>\n
  4. Would take a portion of their food and money for their store.<\/li>\n
  5. They promised safety from their foes, protection from the night,<\/li>\n
  6. But told them when to build a wall and when to run or fight.<\/li>\n
  7. They the makers of the swords, the helmets, belts, and shields<\/li>\n
  8. They the holders of the keys, the oil, and the seal.<\/li>\n
  9. The town, in time, began to grow, too big to keep control,<\/li>\n
  10. And people died or wandered off or fell in empty hole.<\/li>\n
  11. It soon grew clear the ruler dear cared not for every one,<\/li>\n
  12. For those who died or became lost, the ruler mourned but none.<\/li>\n
  13. In fact, the ones he thought to save were those who knelt before<\/li>\n
  14. In adoration, loyalty, allegiance evermore.<\/li>\n
  15. From these he chose his guards and chiefs and up the ladder climbed,<\/li>\n
  16. And if they worked and kissed enough, they, too, were knights in time.<\/li>\n
  17. But there were some who did not die or wander through the mist,<\/li>\n
  18. Nor did they bow or heed the beck or betray their heart with kiss.<\/li>\n
  19. They stoked their fire and scraped for ore and forged their own sharp sword,<\/li>\n
  20. And shaped a shield, a helmet, too, a breastplate for the war.<\/li>\n
  21. They pressed their oil, and cut their keys, and carved out their own seal.<\/li>\n
  22. Then walked away, just one by one, to find a place to heal.<\/li>\n
  23. They were free now of the tax, the burden of the knights,<\/li>\n
  24. Their own heads high, their own hearts sure, and ready for the fight.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A castle sat upon the hill, where all the power lay: The storehouse, armoury lay inside, the treasury, every day. The ruler and his dozen knights would tax the peasants poor, Would take a portion of their food and money for their store. They promised safety from their foes, protection from the night, But told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[46],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-3024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith-crisis-poetry","tag-taxes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/img_3213.jpg?fit=1574%2C1050&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4NkW7-MM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3272,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2018\/02\/05\/ashes-to-ashes\/","url_meta":{"origin":3024,"position":0},"title":"Ashes to Ashes","author":"Kim Siever","date":"5 February 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Thrown into the fire, and what remained was charred. Tossed onto the pyre, before the angel guard. Gold nor silver waiting; just dross consumed by flame. Fining pot ablating, now only ash remain. Dust lay still and silent, untouched by trump or key. Arm of flesh not stirring, no tongue\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith crisis poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Faith crisis poetry","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/poetry\/faith-crisis-poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/01\/heart-1841781_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/01\/heart-1841781_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/01\/heart-1841781_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/01\/heart-1841781_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/01\/heart-1841781_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2960,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2017\/01\/14\/becoming-the-conquered-beast\/","url_meta":{"origin":3024,"position":1},"title":"Becoming the Conquered Beast","author":"Kim Siever","date":"14 January 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The knight, with sword drawn high, struck down with strength increased. Slayed the dragon, but \u2014 surprise \u2014\u00a0himself became the beast. Toward the sweetened fruit, led the rod so strait, But through the years, from rust and strain, became the building great. Shedded plate and shield to fling a fatal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith crisis poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Faith crisis poetry","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/poetry\/faith-crisis-poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/01\/2880x1800_golden-dragon-dragon-mane.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/01\/2880x1800_golden-dragon-dragon-mane.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/01\/2880x1800_golden-dragon-dragon-mane.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/01\/2880x1800_golden-dragon-dragon-mane.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/01\/2880x1800_golden-dragon-dragon-mane.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3284,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2018\/02\/26\/lavender-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":3024,"position":2},"title":"Lavender Soul","author":"Kim Siever","date":"26 February 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Slumber breeze plucks from the trees the leaves and seeds unbound, Softly down with scarce a sound, impregnating the ground. Fallen snow, a cradle low, to stow from blow aloft. Intertwining rain and shining guiding seedling soft. One hand wise paints blue the skies, established clouds up high. One hand\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/lavender-2417339_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/lavender-2417339_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/lavender-2417339_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/lavender-2417339_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/lavender-2417339_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3063,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2011\/10\/09\/rodents-birds-and-mastodons\/","url_meta":{"origin":3024,"position":3},"title":"Rodents, Birds, and Mastodons","author":"Kim Siever","date":"9 October 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw an army marching slowly o\u2019er the hill With guns and cannons blaring enough to make one ill. 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