after the last minstrel

beyond this point no one has gone awake
in sleep we find both monsters and powers
we're at the marge of some enchanted lake
beyond a castle with high bone-white towers
i don't know what this tale or who the writer
i know i've read it somewhere in my youth
but now i cannot see myself as the fighter
doughty and strong and eager for the truth
if it is nothing but another long sad tale
why bother read it or pass it further on
who wants to hear another long sad wail
when the dark powers are at last truly gone
we stop and think and then rewind the tape
past the point where we would bow and scrape