Frank's Story

So the two lovers sat in the night,

Held their hands tight

And shared their blended history of fight and flight.

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Privileged son of a worthy man,

Young Frank enjoyed the abundance

That fine farmland afforded his ancient clan.

After many refusals to sell his land

To the evil Earl Grey, of Yorkshire Dales,

Frank's father turned up mysteriously dead,

Whipped to death by a cat-o-nine-tails.

And the four year old boy held his Mother's hand as they were carted away,

For inability to pay

The new taxes

Leveled by Earl Montague Grey.

"Please, Sir!" Frank's mother begged,

Knelt, in tears, at the feet of Grey.

"Please, Sir!... have pity...let my boy go free!..... I'll be your servant... my freedom i'll renounce!...

"You're doomed!" Grey thundered...

"Take em to the workhouse!!"

Frank, and his mama were thrown into the paddy wagon,

And off to hard labor they dragged em.

Frank was made to go into the mines

That the Earl had dug right under the land Frank's Father had prized.

Day after day, year after year,

The boy mined coal that enriched Grey's coffer.

His muscles grew, but his mama suffered

As bad off as the boy had it,

His mama's spirit faded bit by bit.

Little more than a slave

She was forced to clean the scullery,

Where she overheard tales of the Earl's skull-duggery.

She heard of his penchant for the bare knuckle fight,

And divined a plan to release her boy from his pitiful plight

"You must be brave and learn to win.

Grey must believe you can make money for him...

More money fight'n than dig'n for coal...

Frances! your fists are our way out of this hole! "

She frantically grabbed her son's hands in hers

"Take this, my joy... my boy!

Take this coin into every battle you face.

And fight! Fight! For all your clan...

All the folks used... then enslaved... then forgotten! "

And so, Frank learned to bare knuckle fight.

He learned to be vicious,

He learned to fight to the death.

And his reputation grew as a sure-win bet.

On the day of the Grand Cup Challenge, Frank screwed up his courage and went to the Earl.

"I'll win the day.

Your gain will be great.

Once I collect my purse,

I'll meet you at the West Gate.

There I will hand over your profit,

And you can take my dear Ma out of your pocket!"

The Earl assented

His thoughts riddled with greed.

"Win the fight, boy, and you'll hand over the purse...but make no mistake...

This is the curse of your birth!

I own you, just as I own so many of your kind!

And as far as the scullery wench?

You say she was your mother?

Well now, she lies dead in a ditch.

So get in there and fight

I'll meet you at the West Gate

Don't make the mistake of thinking you can be late!"

Frank's rage consumed him,

But his thoughts were clear.

He had lost all fear.

That night, he watched as the wagers rose sky-high.

He waited till he caught Grey's eye

The tyrant nodded for Frank to enter the ring.

Frank hesitated till he saw his Mama's killer bet what monies his land would bring.

Then he walked slowly to his opponent.

At his sides he kept his hands.

The bell rang.

Frank took the first punch

and fell to the sand.

Midst the gasps of surprise...

Enraged, panicky howls...

Frank disappeared

into the crowd.