The Wandering Bard

A Fool With the Ear of the King

Before the laws were "fair" to all,

A single voice held sway.

As long as power rested there,

He had the final say.

A king is king by dint of strength,

At least so it's perceived,

When founding a dynastic line,

Much strife may be relieved.

There's often little joy to find

When ruling day and night,

So respite's sought from time to time,

As is his kingly right.

When laughter is the needed food,

There's one on whom he calls,

A man of wit and silly jokes

And often fancy falls.

A jongleur of the oldest stripe,

Called jester, clown or fool,

Who's also eyes and ears and mind,

A hidden deadly tool.

The man who filled the royal throne

Was awesome to behold,

But he could rarely, fully trust

The stories he was told.

Sometimes a King want's his "yes" men

To stroke his vanity,

To tell him that his every word

Shows pure sagacity.

But when important points of state

Required true reports,

The hidden eyes and ears are then

Among his first resorts.

You see the foolish, joking man

In jingle hat and patches.

Becomes part of the furniture,

Hears conversation snatches.

"He's just a fool, as all can see"

Unconscious thoughts disguise him.

If they just knew his high regard,

They'd certainly revise them.

And if the Crown should rule in error,

Harsh words would set  in stone.

Another route, proposed in jest,

Could set a different tone.

The jester is a man of flesh,

Moved by his own desires,

And just as proned to have blind spots 

Toward which his soul aspires.

When in the royal court one stands,

Don't overlook the man

Who holds the ear that fills the throne,

It may affect your plan.

Richard Higley © April 16, 2015