SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION

SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION

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SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION
SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION
THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY
By Papal Decree

THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY

Chapter 34 (part III) The Battle for Glastonbury: The first day, cont'd

Ben Woestenburg's avatar
Ben Woestenburg
Apr 23, 2025
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SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION
SCRIBBLER -- A PORTAL TO FICTION
THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY
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This is PAYWALLED!

I say that every time I post a part of this story, because I don’t want you wasting your time. I hate it when I start reading something, and invest a lot of time just reading it, only to discover — with no clue, or even a hint — that it’s paywalled. I told myself I wasn’t going to do that. Instead, I told myself I’d do things differently.

For one thing, I read the poem THE KNIGHT’S TALE from THE CANTERBURY TALES today, and promised myself to put it up behind the paywall as well. It’s what I plan to do in the future. I’m doing my next reading on Thursday. Now there, you see? You’ve talked me in to letting that one off. Make it a freebie for people to listen to. Maybe you want to relax in the tub with bubbles and a glass or two of wine? You can listen to it as you relax. It makes more sense to leave it out there, and tell everyone that the others will be going behind the paywall. After all, that’s why I gave you all the free passes for 90 days. The next poem is THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE. It’s only 2 pages long. So Thursday should work.

The problem with today’s, was that I was downstairs in the kitchen deboning chicken thighs and cutting carrots and potatoes for the Bar-B-Que. I didn’t get a chance to attend to needs of the reading. It got away from me. Right now? I don’t even know where to look for it? I’ll just have to find it, copy the link, and post that in NOTES and hope someone wants to listen.

But it’s long, and for once, you can’t blame me. I read, and stumbled my way through in a little over two hours. It was sixty pages!

Okay, I have a confession about this…

I wanted to read the poem because it’s one of those Classics I haven’t read, yet. It’s the same with CHILDE HAROLD’S PILGRIMAGE. I’d like to read that next. It’s the original Byronic Verse, nine lines, ten beats, and an extra beat for the last line, all running A B A B B C B C C and in four cantos. 4500 words. If I read three stanzas every two days, it would take 15 days, but more like 16. I’m going to call it POET’S CORNER. Maybe I can find some Hallowe’en decorations and find a grave stone I can put somewhere as a prop? I’m thinking it might be easier all around, if I use the video here, or maybe make my own for my BTC-TV Channel 13? That’s where I’m reading out my STORIES, AFTER EIGHT on Saturday/Sunday.

Glad we had this talk, then. I guess it’s settled. I’ll read the poems out loud, video it, make an introduction to it, and dress like a hippy, maybe — or some pretentious professor — and read poetry behind the paywall. There are a lot of people that like poetry, and people that like to have stories read out loud. I don’t want transcripts for the poems unless I have to.

If you like a poem you hear, seek out the book itself…

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