Castle of Dreams

"When I was 8 my Grandmother came on holiday with my family to Harlech. In the car journey there my Grandmother told me about Harlech Castle and because I was young my imagination ran wild. I imagined dragons and great battles. My Grandmother often wrote poems about places she had visited and things that she had seen. That night when I was tucked up in bed she read me a poem she had written for me about Harlech Castle:

"I tell a tale of castle old.
It was at its best when Knights were bold
Where raging seas once lashed its feet
Now it stands in a village street
And visitors come from far away
To gaze upon the ruined grey
The pageant held in baronial hall
Walls with flags and banners adorned
Ladies in medieval gowns
Serving wenches dressed in brown
Knights in armour brave and strong
With mighty sword and shield waist high
Waiting for the battle cry.
When night falls and all is still
The enchanted castle on the hill
Bathed in lights of different hue
Its magic spell it weaves anew.
And in our dreams we see again
Pendragon victor the enemy slain.

When my family and I visited the castle the next day it was like a magic spell had fallen over me. Everything from the poem seemed to come to life before my eyes. It was like I had gone back in time. It was such a magical day thinking about the poem.

Many years later my sister asked my grandma about another one of her poems. She found the poem and gave it to my sister. To my surprise the castle poem was on the back of the piece of paper. I read the poem again and it instantly took me back to that magical day. I have now kept the poem in a safe place and maybe one day I'll be able to read the poem of the enchanted castle to my grandchildren."

Adam Lawson