Throwback Thursday: The Opportunist

"The land is conquered! Run now for your lives!
The Norman comes, in fear and fire and blood!
Hide now your children, lock up your fair wives!
Marauders are approaching in a flood!"
So came the shouts as refugees poured through
The village. Dacey, though, stayed how and where
She was. "Where now, indeed, would I run to?"
She asked of no one. Tired and grey of hair
And full of pains, she sat upon her stool
Outside a newly-empty hut, to wait.
When came the Norman horde, she kept her cool,
As there were only five. "Ah! We're too late!
The pretty ones are gone. There's just this crone."
They left her to enrich herself, alone.

Throwback Thursday: Necessity is a Motherfolklore

The best horseshoes in all the counties came,
From Milo's forge, as ev'rybody knew.
Indeed, as years went by, his given name
Fell to disuse. They called him Smith, for true.
So when the Normans first invaded, those
Who would repel them flocked to Milo. "Make
Of these, fine swords!" They held before his nose
Plowshares and other scraps. Much of it wouldn't take
An edge that could cut butter, but he thought
The better of so disappointing lords
Such as were crowding him. Then Milo got
A fine idea. He had some metal, wrapped in cords
That he'd been saving. He would take their trash,
But use his treasure, be done in a flash!