I did things differently from many people when I found a wife and got married. I didn’t date my wife-to-be; I courted her. And when we married, we didn’t simply exchange traditional wedding vows. We made a covenant before God.
Courtship meant getting to know more than just a potential mate. I first asked her father’s permission, and I spent time with her extended family so they could get to know me, too.
My wife is from the Philippines, where family gatherings can include a much wider circle of relatives than I was accustomed to. When we went out with her family, twenty or more people might join us. Once, we rented two banana boats and still had to take turns so everyone could ride!
But the most important difference wasn’t how we courted. It was what we believed we were doing when we married.
We knew we couldn’t build a lasting marriage through our own strength alone. We needed God’s help. So, when we married in the Philippines, we signed a covenant before God, trusting Him to guide us and help us keep the promises we made to each other. We knew that what God has joined together no one can separate. Matthew 19:6
What is a Covenant?
In Genesis 15, God confirmed His promise to Abraham by having him cut sacrificial animals in half. Still, only God passed through the pieces, symbolized by a smoking firepot and a flaming torch.
In the ancient Near East, people did not just “make” agreements; they “cut” them. Parties slaughtered animals, split them in half, laid the pieces in two rows, and walked through the middle. Walking through the bloody path was an intense self-cursing oath. It meant, “May this happen to me if I break this covenant.”
After Abraham cut through the pieces of the animals, he fell asleep. Instead of walking with God through the pieces, God walked alone. By walking through alone, God took upon Himself the entire obligation and penalty of the covenant. The fulfillment of the promise depended entirely on God’s faithfulness rather than Abraham’s perfection.
Abraham’s descendants broke the covenant, but God paid the price by sacrificing Himself on the cross.
God makes covenants and keeps them. Other examples are covenants with Noah and David. God promised Noah and his descendants that he would never destroy the earth with a global flood. God promised David that his royal dynasty would never end, which was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus, the Messiah.
A Marriage Covenant
In marriage, a covenant before God means more than making promises to each other. It means inviting God into our marriage, trusting Him to guide us, and depending on His grace as we seek to keep the promises we have made.
God is faithful. We are not perfect. We will misunderstand each other, disappoint each other, and sometimes fail to love each other as we should. That is precisely why we need God’s help.
Signing a covenant didn’t mean that our marriage would require no effort or that we would never struggle. It expressed our commitment to seek God’s will, rely on His grace, and keep growing together in Christlikeness.
I expressed this in a poem:
A Marriage Covenant
"What God has joined together"
Has new meaning for me.
If God brought two together,
They are one and forever will be.
If God did the choosing,
Love is a way and a certainty.
No heart need fear ever losing.
From now and into eternity.
Human bonds are broken,
When vows are only spoken.
A ring becomes a mere token.
Unless the Spirit is awoken.
Human nature is poor and weak.
The Spirit is mighty and strong.
It is His will that we must always seek
If together forever we want to belong.
A covenant is more than an oath.
It is a commitment kept by God above
That binds two upon a path of growth
Clinging to each other, ever increasing in love...
More than a Commitment
Marriage is based on commitment. It is a commitment to love, to sacrifice, and to stay together regardless of the circumstances.
A marriage should and can last forever because Jesus also said, “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Mark 10:9)
By signing our covenant with God, we were committed to relying on God. We were married not when we signed a marriage license, but when we signed a covenant before God. Our trust and reliance are in God’s hands. We put our marriage in God’s hands. We asked our friends and family to sign as well and, in doing so, asked them to support our marriage and pray for us. The covenant hangs on our wall and is the most important document in the house. We both believe that it is impossible for us to divorce and for our love to die.
We have been blessed that others have used our covenant for their marriage, and we welcome its use by anyone.
This is the covenant we signed before God, our family, and our friends on our wedding day:
Our Covenant
I, Robert, promise before God to be a faithful husband to Rubilyn. I will love her as Christ loves the church. I will be a servant leader putting her needs and desires ahead of my own. I will sacrifice my time and very life for her and our family.
I, Rubilyn, promise before God to be a faithful wife to Robert. I will respect him as my loving servant leader. I will put his needs and desires ahead of my own. I promise to be as well organized, trustworthy, and hard-working as the capable women described in Proverbs 31:10-31. I will care for him and the children entrusted to me, and I will always love and defend him as his supportive companion.
We, Rubilyn and Robert, commit before God to strive for oneness. We pray that we may be one as the Father, Son and Spirit are one. By God’s grace, we will become one in body, mind, heart and spirit. We vow to be honest and open in our communication. We will be submissive to each other even to the point of adopting the other’s will and desire as our own. We vow that our family will pray, read God’s word, attend church services, and serve our God. We vow to seek God’s will and desire for our life and marriage. To God, our loving Father, we make this covenant agreement with Him and each other.
Rubilyn & Robert
Before God, our loving Father, we are witnesses to this covenant agreement and commit to pray for and support the marriage of
Rubilyn and Robert.
Applying The Covenant
Differences
I’ve had to learn to listen to my wife. Because we are from different countries with different cultures and languages, and her primary language is not English, I’ve worked to understand her. I can easily misunderstand her simply because she uses the wrong English word. I must stop and ask what she means. Sometimes it is difficult for her to explain what she means, and it can be frustrating for both her and me. It is not an easy road, and one we are still traveling. I am not perfect in understanding her, but I try to make progress.
Because of our cultural differences, I’ve had to learn to do some things the Filipino way. For example, kids often sleep with their parents in the Philippines. When our daughters were babies, they slept in or next to our bed. Now, we sometimes have sleepovers where we allow them to sleep with us.
I’ve learned that food is a love language in the Philippines. At parties, there is more than enough food for everyone, and everyone is expected to take some home. I had to get comfortable with that idea.
Serving
My wife has beautified our home and keeps it well organized. I have learned that my wife gets very stressed when she sees a mess. I clean and organize whenever she needs help, and I recognize that she is much better at those things than I am.
Finances
Since our marriage, we’ve followed Dave Ramsey‘s budgeting plan. We operate on a cash basis and save money. We budget together, and we invest. We’ve paid off our mortgage early and have no debt.
Habits
I’ve had the habit of leaving my wife love notes every weekday morning. (I’ve missed some. I’m not perfectly consistent.) She appreciates those notes. I often say things I’ve said before. It doesn’t matter. She needs to read them again.
My wife and I each spend time reading Scripture privately. We also read the Bible together. And we read the Word and do devotions with our children.
I pray with my wife regularly. When we disagree, we pray. When we have decisions to make, we pray. Prayer is a regular part of our lives.
You can read this blog to see how I’ve learned to love my wife, and Christ loves the church.
It’s Not Too Late
If you’re already married, it’s not too late to make a covenant before God. You could do it as part of an anniversary or a renewal of vows — a fresh beginning with the same person, anchored to something deeper than a ceremony or human promises.
If you’re not yet married, don’t wait. Make a covenant with God before you make promises to each other.
Our covenant hangs proudly on our wall. It is the most important document in our house. The marriage license means very little. The covenant is binding.
I’m thankful someone told me about covenant marriage. It has made all the difference for us. Our marriage is not perfect — but God is using it to perfect us, and to make each of us more like Christ.
What conflict revealed about me, what I should have done differently, and how my family repaired the damage.
Conflict Happens
I love my wife and my family. We have lots of good times together and share some very special moments. I’m blessed to have a wonderful marriage and two beautiful, talented, and intelligent daughters. However, our family is far from perfect. We have conflicts. We had a conflict recently.
Our girls were off from school, and we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to do something together as a family, except we didn’t have the budget for dining, entertainment, or shopping. I thought it would be nice to spend some time at home playing a game, reading a story together, or at least watching a movie (admittedly that was my last choice).
Well, none of that happened. Why? Conflict.
What I did Wrong
We could not agree on what to do, and instead of helping us resolve it, I ended up being part of the problem. I wanted to read. One daughter wanted to watch something, and the other wanted to play a game. At one point, at least their mother and one daughter wanted to go out to look around the mall, but I did NOT want that. Like everyone else, I wanted my way and was working to achieve it instead of helping my family.
What I Learned Afterward.
Conflict often happens because each of us wants our own way—or because we have different ideas about what the right way is. We are selfish; however, …
Sometimes conflict isn’t between good and bad intentions. It’s between two good intentions—or between two different visions of what “good” looks like.
We are all different and need to recognize that. We have different experiences and different paradigms. When two or more people are different, conflict is inevitable.
I prefer to avoid conflict altogether, but sometimes that fuels it. Conflict needs to be addressed, not ignored. Ignoring it can allow it to fester because it remains unresolved.
Resolving the Conflict – Four Lessons I Should Have Applied
So, what do we do? How do we resolve conflict? I have a few suggestions that, if implemented, could have helped us resolve our conflict more effectively. I should know better, since I’ve been aware of these four principles for years and have applied them at times.
Listening is more than hearing words. It is understanding. It is feeling what the other person feels and knowing why they feel this way. This is active listening:
Empathy: You feel a fraction of their emotional experience instead of staying detached.
Curiosity: You wonder why they feel that way, and you replace criticism with open questions like “Tell me more.”
Presence: You quiet your own ego and stop planning your next response.
When you listen this way, the other person feels safe, valued, and deeply understood.
I didn’t listen to my girls or my wife. I wanted to read because I miss reading to my girls regularly. My girls wanted to be heard and understood. I didn’t acknowledge their feelings. At one point, my oldest was in tears, but I didn’t pay attention. I was angry.
My youngest was annoyed, and my wife was frustrated, but I didn’t acknowledge either of their feelings. I vented mine.
I didn’t stop to ask, “Why are you crying?” or say to the other two, “You look annoyed and frustrated. What are you feeling?”
I wasn’t present. I left my girls to decide while I did something else. I was trying to avoid the conflict and wasn’t addressing it. It needed to be discussed and resolved.
Ownership
I learned in recovery groups that I must take ownership. This means instead of blaming and pointing out another’s faults, I own my part. I confess what I did wrong. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3, he blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. We’ve been blaming each other ever since. Adam should have taken ownership and acknowledged the issue, and so should we.
I didn’t take ownership the other day. I blamed my daughters for not deciding. As the husband and father, I had a responsibility to lead better in that moment. I can’t own everyone else’s choices, but I can own mine.
Third Alternative
Covey also talks about the third alternative. This is not a compromise in which both sides get some of what they want. It is finding a new possibility that satisfies the underlying interests even though nobody gets their original proposal.
I needed to reach a third alternative for my family, but I didn’t. All three, my daughters plus my wife, were somewhat in favor of shopping. I was not. We didn’t have a budget for it, and shopping was my least favorite activity. We could have had window-shopping fun. We could have held a contest to find items, or we could have made up a story about the people and places we visited. But I didn’t even try.
Repair
Near the end of the day, we gathered and talked. We listened a little better. One daughter conceded to play a game. We played a game for ten minutes. We could have had hours together.
Once the damage has been done, we shouldn’t leave it there. There were hurt feelings that need mending. We lost quality time that needs to be acknowledged.
I need to do something to repair the damage.
Listen
So, I listened. I listened to both daughters after I asked what we should have done differently. I asked them about their feelings and validated them.
I listened to my wife, who suggested we stop leaving it to the girls. While we both didn’t want hurt feelings, we recognized that it is sometimes impossible to please both girls. While it is good to leave some decisions to them to feel empowered, this wasn’t one of those times.
I acknowledged that we had lost precious time and that I wasn’t good at listening, leading, or making decisions.
Give Sincere Apology and Take Ownership
One of the things I learned in recovery groups is to make amends. This begins with an apology which includes ownership. I apologized. As husband and father, I failed to lead better, and we lost precious family time. This was not the time to blame my wife or daughters, even if they had faults. This was my time to own what I did and be sorry for it.
Acknowledge the Impact
We lost precious time that day that we can never recover. Everyone felt hurt. I was sad that we didn’t have that bonding time. My oldest was in tears. My youngest was sad and annoyed. My wife was frustrated.
Instead of creating happy memories, we created sad ones.
Conflict isn’t necessarily the failure; refusing to listen, take ownership, find another way, and repair the damage afterward is where relationships suffer.
Next Time
We all resolved to do better next time. While we had a significant loss, if we learn from it, we can grow. That is the goal. We want to become more Christ-Like and grow in our character. Turning bad, unpleasant situations into lessons can help us grow.
Our family is not perfect and never will be. We’ve made many mistakes and will continue to do so. However, I know God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). He is teaching us and conforming us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). I want to cooperate with him in the effort as he molds and shapes my family and me.
Christlikeness isn’t demonstrated by never having conflict; it’s demonstrated in how we respond when conflict exposes our own selfishness, pride, impatience, and failure.
A prose retelling of Bob Richley’s elfin poem cycle, told in chronological order
I. The Parting of the Ways
In the first ages of the world there were no men, only the elves and the gentle folk of wood and water. The days were governed by wisdom and quiet.
The Rise of Men
Then men rose from the dark earth. God made them strong so they could work. For a time, their work felt like a gift. Skilled workers built halls of stone, glass, and shining metal. They planted gardens of red and violet flowers around tall towers of white and gold. They carved bronze faces where water poured from the mouths into still, clear pools.
Works of Skill and Beauty
But beauty bred pride. The more men admired what they had made, the more their hearts turned inward. From the nymphs, their smiths learned the craft of forging. They turned it into spears, chains, and enchanted blades.
The elves had always held that valor meant doing what was right. Men began to believe that valor meant strength, and that whoever held the sharpest sword held the truth. On that single difference the two peoples began to drift apart.
Among the elves, the children still went out into the flower meadows and called for the pixies to come and dance. The elders smiled at this, though secretly they envied the children’s joy and feared the pixies, whose games were never only games. The pixies would not show themselves to grown folk. They came only to the young.
One day an elfin prince, hardly more than a toddler, found among the flowers a ring set with a great green emerald. He did not show it to his elders. He kept it hidden, and at night the pixies came to him in his dreams and whispered of things that must one day come to pass. What they told him, no one else knew. But the ring would outlast him, and it would shape the fate of both peoples.
In the realm of men there rose a king named Restiny, and for a time he was the best of them. He was generous and wise, brave with a sword but slow to draw it. He had grown up among elves, learning their songs and their teaching: that true wealth is not gold, that charity returns a hundredfold, that valor is a love that reaches beyond oneself. Of all the kings of men, he alone was honored by both peoples.
A Father’s Desperate Journey
His greatest joy was his firstborn son. When the boy fell gravely ill, Restiny tried every healer, every potion, every charm, and none availed. At last word came to him of a pool far to the east, in the land of Restore on the eastern shore, kept by the elfin king Elmond. Its waters healed both men and elves alike, so long as their love reached beyond themselves.
Restiny set out at once, carrying his son. Goblins, trolls, wizards, and dragons stood in his way, and a goblin’s poisoned dart struck him, but he would not stop or rest. When he finally stumbled onto the eastern shore and knelt beside the shimmering water, the boy in his arms was already dead. The pool could mend what was dying, but it could not call back what was gone.
Grief Turned to Vengeance
Something broke in Restiny then. His great love curdled into madness, and his grief looked for someone to blame. He swore that the elves would pay. The good king who had been loved became a king who was feared.
Restiny returned east, this time with an army. His men wanted the healing waters for themselves, and they marched with chains and spears to claim the pool in their king’s name.
The elves of Restore were a peaceful people, and they would not take up arms. They had no wish to kill; they wished only to heal. Their wizards called upon ancient spirits to hold back the tide, but spells could not shield every elf. Men and elves alike fell, until King Elmond’s pool lay drowned in blood.
An Ancient Foretelling
From that day the waters no longer healed. The Pools of Elmond became the Pools of Restiny, a place where the dead dwelt, and men had purchased their so-called destiny at a terrible price. Yet the elves remembered an old foretelling: one day an heir of Restiny’s own line, his grandson Altiny, would come to those pools and choose a better destiny than his grandfather had, and through him mercy would return.
The prophecy demanded that the surviving elves of Restore leave the eastern shore, which had become a land of death. Above all, the emerald ring had to be kept safe until the day of Altiny, and so they fled in silence and secrecy toward the cold northern shore.
The Dwarves Hold the Line
Daemond, the Dark Lord of the Void, knew of the ring and of the grandson it awaited, and he meant to see the one destroyed and the other thwarted. At his call, dragons rose from their fiery pits to fall upon the fleeing elves. But the dwarves came up from the deep places of the earth with axes and shields, bound by an old oath. In the darkness, dragon-fire met dwarf-steel, and many dragons were beheaded. Many dwarves fell as well, and the elves grieved deeply for those who gave their lives so that the quest to end the war could continue. The elves reached the north, and the ring with them.
In the darkest years of the war, when men and elves hated and feared each other, a human child named Altiny was born. His parents died of a poisoned thorn, and the orphan was taken in and raised by the elves of the cold northern shore.
A Forbidden Love
He grew up strong and brave among them, and he grew to love the fairest elf of that shore, the Lady Lenore. Their hearts were bound as one, but in such an age, love between a man and an elf was forbidden, and so they kept it hidden.
VII. The Battle for the Emerald Ring
The pixies sang of the ring, and their songs said its power belonged to the elves. One day that song was overheard by a mighty and ambitious knight whose only desire was to be a king. He believed a crown was owed to him, and he believed the ring could win it. Yet no divination could find it, for the pixies and wizards had hidden the secret of who held it.
So the knight made a bargain with the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord would help him seize the ring and crown him king; in return, the Princess Lenore would become the Dark Lord’s prisoner forever.
The ring lay in the palace of the northern shore, guarded by the gentle but strong king of the elves of Restore. When war fell upon those elves, who would not fight, the woodland elves and the dwarf knights of old rose to defend them. For ten days, axes swung, and arrows flew until blood froze on the ground and courage ran cold, and at last the defenders were overcome.
Lenore’s Escape
But Lenore escaped, and the ring escaped with her. For twenty-two days she sailed west, until she came to hidden caves sheltered by slabs of shale. The knight’s fury at losing both prize and prisoner was terrible, and he took his vengeance on the elves who remained. So many died that day that the cold coast was stained red, and ever after it was called the Crimson Northern Shore.
Lenore’s refuge was the Island of Danore, a gray and silent place of caves and towers near a blue river mouth, overlooking flowerless tundra. Mystic spells kept it hidden from the creatures of shadow, and for years the winds of war did not touch it. She lived there in solitude, singing to herself songs of hope that she would one day be free.
A Message Sent Across the Sea
Far to the north, on the Crimson Northern Shore, Altiny lived among the survivors of the slaughter. He searched the western seas and coasts for her, but he never found the island. The same spells that kept the Dark Lord’s creatures out kept him out too.
The years passed, and Lenore’s grief grew heavier. One night she called out to the pixies, asking whether the man she loved still lived and whether the war had ended. The pixies told her that he was alive, far away on the Crimson Shore. She wept that he would never find her, hidden as she was by the spells that wrapped the island in darkness.
Then the pixies told her what they had whispered long ago to the toddler prince in his dreams: the time of Altiny had come. She must take the ring from her hand and send it to him. Its power would make him strong, and its magic would lead him to his destiny at the Pools of Restiny.
The Ring Moves
Lenore was afraid. The ring’s light had kept her hidden and safe all those years, and she believed it was what kept her alive. Without it, how could she survive? The pixies told her that this was a lie. It was not the ring that had sustained her but love, and love would carry her through. Before she died, she and Altiny would be together.
So Lenore slipped the ring from her finger and fastened it to her own golden chain. Though she knew her heart would ache again, she placed it in the pixies’ care. She told them to take it to her love, and to tell him not to search for her but to sail east. Then she sent them away at once.
The pixies flew off into the night, fading from her sight like starlight, and Lenore knelt alone and empty-handed on the cold ground of Danore. Her fate was sealed now, and her life and her love remained hidden.
The pixies brought the ring north to Altiny and, with it, her message. So he stopped searching the western seas, and with the blessing of his elfin king, he made ready to seek his destiny at the dead pools of Restiny.
Without the ring, Danore was no longer as well protected. The Dark Lord’s servants searched ceaselessly through swamp and wasteland. At last, by chance, they caught a fairy, and in fear she whispered where the elf lady hid. By night the creatures descended on the island with fire, striking like lightning and storm. They found Lenore lying on the cold ground, and to their rage she did not have the ring. She would not speak a word. Still alive, she was carried off to the Dark Lord’s realm of slow decay, and she never betrayed her love.
Altiny sailed east, sent by his elfin king, with the emerald ring hanging on Lenore’s golden chain against his chest. Engraved upon it was a charge: go to the Pools of Restiny, into the dwelling of the dead, and there the way to end the war between elves and men would be revealed.
His ship was a marvel, built of glass and dwarf-mined diamond, with silver mast and silken sails, decks of gemstone, and the crimson flag of the north flying day and night. In his quiver he carried a single arrow tipped with a dragon’s tooth, born in the meadow of the nymphs, as deadly as a master’s elfin blade.
Cast Into the Sea
The voyage was long and hard. Storms broke over him, and monsters rose from the deep, and though Altiny never faltered, his crew wept with fear. Then an evil spell crept into their minds, turning their hope to dread of a coming reign of men, and one dark day they seized him and cast him into the sea.
He would have drowned, but the pixies found him, bright as stars, and carried him to shore before vanishing like ghosts. While he lay senseless, Altiny dreamed of Lenore: she had long since left the north, carried off by a dark lord on a gray, ghostly mare and hidden away in a secret lair.
He woke to find himself near the realm of the dead, astonished to be alive. Again he read the words on the ring, and hope returned to him. He pressed on over mountains and through valleys. Evil wizards buried his path in snow, but he spoke an elfin word of emerald light, and the snow melted into a pond. Trolls barred his way and fell to his arrows; goblins shot poisoned darts and were no match for the dragon-tooth arrow. He came through the narrows without a scratch.
The Destiny Revealed
Beyond lay the Pools of Restiny. By the rule of the dead, he had to look into them at the breaking of dawn, so he walked through the night to arrive in time. As the light rose, he asked the pool to show him his destiny, and the answer came: find the love you left behind, the fairest elf of the northern shore, and marry her.
X. The Knight from the South
A Dream of Home
Far away, in a dark and lonely prison, Lenore waited. In her mind she went north again, to white aspens bending in the wind, birch fires glowing on winter nights, clear rivers running down from snowy peaks. She remembered climbing high above the golden fields of barley and rye with Altiny, before fate forced them apart, and she waited for the day they would climb the mountains together again.
Lucius
In the golden lands of the south lived a knight named Lucius. He had been taught that true valor meant standing for what is right, and honesty was his delight. He had grown up in a land torn by war, where elves had laid waste to farmland and men had cut down the forests, and he longed for a day when war would end.
One night, a whisper on the wind came to him in a dream. It told him to go far to the east, to a land of endless night, where an elfin princess lay imprisoned in a cave. Lucius knew this was his path to peace, and he would not turn from it.
With sword and bow he crossed mountains and valleys into the Dark Lord’s country. Dragons and goblins, servants of a master who wanted the bloodshed never to end, rose up against him. But fate and hope stood with Lucius. Hundreds of goblins died that day, the dragons fled back to their caves, and the Dark Lord’s design was broken. A man had rescued an elf, and through one man the light of valor shone again.
Altiny traveled on through many more dangers, and at last he found Lenore free, rescued by one of the very men the elves had learned to hate through years of war and poisonous spells.
So the destiny foretold at the pools began to be fulfilled. The man raised by elves and the elf rescued by a man were married, and their union ended the war. Through Altiny, grandson of the king whose grief had begun it, peace came at last between elves and men. But the fighting’s ending was not the same as valor’s return. That would cost more.
When a war ends, change comes slowly. The land lay ruined from the mountaintops to the valleys, and in the hearts of men the old creed still ruled: that strength was the same as valor, that a man lived by his sword, took what he could, trusted in sorcery and fortune-telling, and lived to be admired.
King Altiny knew better. The elves had raised him to believe that valor meant doing what was right, and he set out to undo the Dark Lord’s great lie. He believed that only love’s passion for the good could spread true valor, and that gentleness and goodness had to prove stronger than might. In his kingdom, the strong were to stand for peace, the brave to protect the weak, the humble rather than the proud, strong in conviction and resting on a firm foundation.
The Dream
Then one day Queen Lenore had a terrible dream. In it, a little ewe lamb she loved more than anything wandered off to play in the elfin forest. Night fell, the lamb was lost, and no matter how she called, it would not come home. She woke knowing what the dream meant: her firstborn son would one day give his life for a man. Her scream carried through the night and across the whole land, and men and elves ran in terror to their shelters and caves, not knowing what horror had made their queen cry out.
To protect her son, Lenore hid him among her elfin kin, and no man was allowed near him. Growing up so far from his parents, he felt like an orphan. Still, he grew in skill and craft until no one could beat him in any game or contest. He was the elf-man of the Crimson Shore, son of a human warrior and an elfin princess, and no elf could stand against him. He longed to test himself against the men who boasted of their strength with sword and bow.
The Challenge
Then the aspen trees began to whisper of a great contest to decide the bravest and mightiest knight. It was to be held far off, in the land of the weeping willows, a restless and sinful land where the mighty gathered. Lenore’s son knew he had to go, and none of his mother’s pleading could hold him back. Men were famed for their boldness and greatness, but Altiny’s son was destined to destroy hatred.
The Prince’s Final Quest
So Lenore gave him her blessing. She told him that love demands sacrifice, that valor means doing right, and that this was a knight’s true quest. She asked him to be her voice and her hand in that land, and to have no part in its wicked ways. Then she went to her chamber and wept, because she knew this was her son’s final destiny. He would face the evil without fear, and his life would be the last price paid for the dead Pools of Restiny. Lenore and Altiny had married to end the war; now their only son, born of that love, would give valor its meaning back. The dream had shown her that he would receive a wound that love could not heal.
The Fight
At the contest, the prince fought bravely and defeated every opponent until only one remained: a knight whom everyone feared and respected. He stood more than nine feet tall, as unshakable as a great redwood, with a sharp sword and crushing blows. Mighty and admired, living by the sword, trusting in sorcery and divination, he was the very picture of the old creed. He laughed at the elfin prince and mocked him as a fool.
The New Battle
The prince raised his sword. But before the fight could begin, a scream rang out and everyone scattered. Goblins, servants of the Dark Lord, were pouring down from the sky. The prince and the giant knight turned from each other and stood together against the new enemy.
The Prince Gives His Life
The knight killed many goblins that day. Then a goblin aimed an arrow at his head, and the prince leaped into its path. In that moment, far away, Lenore knew that her son was dead. Men and elves alike on the Crimson Shore were struck with grief.
He lies buried on that shore, beneath a bed of velvet flowers: King Altiny’s son, Queen Lenore’s joy. The mightiest knight of the old creed had been saved by the one he meant to defeat. With his blood and his grace, the prince taught both peoples what the elves had always known, and men had forgotten: that valor means doing what is right. But his story was not yet over.
The son of the world’s king was dead. He had given his life for valor’s sake, just as the queen had dreamed. Men mourned him, and the elves of the shore wept.
In that time of grief, the Dark Lord saw his opportunity. As cunning as a snake, he whispered a lie into the minds and hearts of both peoples: men and elves had caused the prince’s death. If men blamed elves and elves blamed men, hatred could grow again, and the war could start over. That was his plan.
The King Speaks the Truth
But King Altiny recognized that the whispers were false. The deception broke his heart and filled him with anger, yet he knew that, above all else, the truth had to be honored. He had to stop this poison before it spread, and he had to make known why his son had really died.
So the king spoke the truth to everyone, young and old. Neither men nor elves were to blame, he told them. No one had taken his son’s life; his son had given it. His only son had not been ashamed to die for valor’s sake.
The world realized that the Dark Lord had lied. People understood that the king’s son had died out of love, and that his death had redeemed them. Everyone believed the truth. Men and elves refused to blame each other, and so hatred never took root. They would not fight their own brothers, and their love would not be deceived.
The Dark Lord’s plot had failed. This time it was his heart that broke at the truth, and his anger boiled over. His scheme had come to nothing, and he was left seething in bitter rage, trapped by his own lie and cursing a truth he could not deny.
From then on, no one would be blamed for a life freely given. Men and elves alike would not be ashamed to give their own lives for valor’s sake.
Lenore sat in the shadows, alone and broken, longing for her only son, whose life had ended almost before it began. Yet in her grief her thoughts kept drifting east.
Then the pixies came to her again, shining like stars, the same pixies who had once carried her ring away across the sea. They told her to look into her own heart, where a holy hope was growing, and to look toward the Pools in the east. Her son’s sacrifice had borne fruit. The sins of the ancient past were forgiven, because love had paid their price.
The pools no longer bore Restiny’s name; they belonged to Restore again. What vengeance had stained, love had cleansed. The grieving king’s long, dark pursuit had at last been redeemed, and the waters glowed with a joyful light. The peaceful elves of Restore had returned to the eastern shore, and they would share the pools’ slow healing with men and elves of every people. Her son, the pixies said, had been pure of heart, wise, and steady in his ways. He was a lion and a lord, valiant without ever needing a sword, and this had been his destiny from the start.
From the eastern shore, the elves of Restore sang that their pool could mend what seemed past mending. Through sacrifice it could reach even beyond death, the death from which new life comes.
Journey to the Pools
So Lenore went to her son’s grave on the Crimson Shore, beneath the bed of velvet flowers, and lifted his cold body into her arms. Long ago, Restiny had carried his son east through darkness and danger to these same pools, and arrived too late: his son was dead, and the waters could not save him. Now Lenore made the same journey, carrying a son already dead. But she arrived with the healing dawn, at a time when love had overcome the grave.
The Son Raised from the Dead
She laid him in the water and cried out to him, just as she had cried out for the lost lamb in her dream, begging him to come home. And from the healing waters her son rose, free of death and suffering. Love had required a sacrifice, and it had been paid. Valor meant doing what was right, and he had fulfilled a knight’s true quest.
Dark Lord in Fear
The ground shook. His return to life sent a shudder all the way to the Dark Lord, who fled in terror. Throughout his realm, the dragons and goblins ran for cover, not knowing what had frightened their master. Now it was the Dark Lord who had screamed at a nightmare.
No one could stand against the elf-man of the crimson land, son of a human warrior and an elfin princess. His mother sent him out once more into the land of the weeping willows, the land of the mighty and the wicked, this time not to compete but to overcome its evil ways. Once again she asked him to be her voice and her hand, and gave him her blessing.
Then King Altiny came and unfastened the golden chain he had worn so long, with the emerald ring that Lenore had sent him years before. He gave it to his son and told him to learn its power: the power to unite enemies, stronger than any sword or bow.
The Quest to Destroy the Dark Lord
The giant knight whose life the prince had saved, once his rival, joined him on his quest. Neither rested by day or by night, for they were determined to end the Dark Lord’s evil forever. The goblins now fled in fear, because no one could stand against enemies who had become friends. At last the old hope of King Altiny was fulfilled: the strong stood up for peace, the brave protected the weak, and they did it with humility rather than pride, strong in conviction and resting on a true foundation.
The Dark Lord’s Final Defeat
At last, in the Void of Night, the prince stood face to face with the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord raised his sword, but the prince stood unarmed. He told the Dark Lord that his strength had always come from a lie, the lie that valor lives by might and the sword. Love had broken death’s hold, and the Dark Lord no longer ruled it.
Then the prince lifted the ring, and its light shone out over the men and elves who had come to stand and fight side by side. In that emerald light, the lie died. The servants of darkness were defeated by former enemies who had become friends, and the Dark Lord and his servants were cast into the Lake of Fire, to suffer there forever.
Dawn of a New Day
A new day dawned for men and elves. Everyone drank freely from the healing waters, and the water of life flowed for all who answered its call.
The valor of men and elves, it was said ever after, is love that reaches beyond oneself, a love that treats others as brothers. Love and virtue, noble and true, would be their guide. And the old teachings the elves had once given a young king named Restiny were remembered at last: true wealth is not gold, and it can be neither bought nor sold; charity returns a hundredfold; true friends remain when you are old. Whoever holds to what is true and pursues virtue will never again be conquered by darkness, and their life will be renewed.
This is an allegory about our present world. We are deceived into believing lies, but the death and resurrection of God’s only Son on the cross have paid for our redemption.
In her despair, dark and lonely, Longing for her son, her one and only, In quiet shadows she waits forlornly; Her desires and dreams whisk her eastwardly.
"My son, my son, my son, My dearest, my beloved one, Your life had just begun, Too soon your race was run."
Once again came the pixies, bright as stars, Who once had borne her ring away, And whispered to her grieving heart The words that turned her night to day:
Lenore, gaze upon your own heart; A holy hope is growing there. For joy, the holiest of love will start In all the trials of love you bear. Look again toward Pools of Restore, The changing fruits of sacrifice; Erase the sins of forgotten lore, For love has paid the price. No longer bound by Restiny's name, The pools rise to Restore once more; What vengeance stained, pure love overcame, And healing has filled the eastern shore. The changing tides of love's fruit Have healed the pools with merry light, Redeemed the grieving king's pursuit, And planted healing in the night. Passive, peaceful elves of Restore Dwell again in peace along the eastern shore, And will share the pool's slow healing grace, With man and elf, from every race. Your son's heart was pure, His wisdom sure, His ways secure: Predestiny. Mighty Lion and lord, Valiant without a sword, Cherished and adored: Predestiny. From the eastern shore once more Sang the gentle elves of Restore:
"Our pond has the power to mend, Even when life is near its close; By sacrifice it can transcend The death from which new life arose."
She went to his grave on the crimson shore, Beneath the velvet flower bed, And lifted the son she so adored, Cold in her arms, for he was dead.
As Restiny, in days of yore Bore his son through dark and dread, So east to the Pools of Restore Journeyed Lenore, bearing her dead.
He had come too late; his son was gone; The pool was powerless to save. But she came with the healing dawn, When love had overcome the grave.
She laid him in the waters, crying:
"Come back, my little ewe, Hear my crying for you. Where have you gone, my love? Show me, oh stars above. Come home, come home to me; Oh my son, hear my plea."
In the healing waters of life Rose her son, free of death and strife.
Love required sacrifice; This was the needed price. Valor is doing right; This was the quest of a knight.
The ground began to shake and quiver, For the restored life sent a shiver, To the Lord of Darkness and Dread; In panicked fear for his life, he fled.
What is this terror of the night? What has caused such awful fright? Run, dragons and goblins of evil, and hide; It is not safe to abide. Fear has made our Lord scream; He has had a nightmarish dream. Who is a match for the elf-man Born of the crimson land? A warrior man his father, An elfin princess his mother; Against him no one can stand. Come again to the land where the willows weep, To the land where the weak do not sleep; Come to the land of the mighty and brave, To the land of the sinful and depraved.
“Go, my son, into this land; Be my voice, be my hand. Overtake all the evil, vile ways; Receive my blessing and my praise.”
Then King Altiny, his father, came And loosed the golden chain he wore, The emerald ring of elfin fame Once sent to him by his Lenore.
"Take the mystical emerald ring; Learn of the power it will bring To unite enemies and foes In power stronger than swords and bows."
The knight who was once a foe, Who wanted to pierce with sword and bow, Joined the son on his valiant quest; By night nor by day would either rest
Until the evil Dark Lord would burn in the lake of fire, Ending all of evil's dreadful desire.
Wicked goblins fly at night, Fleeing fear and fright, Servants of the Dark Lord's hand; Against united friends no one can stand. The mighty take a stand To bring peace to the land The brave defend the weak They are not proud but meek Strength is in conviction Wisdom in benediction Rest on a true foundation
At last within the Void of Night The son stood face to face with Dread. The Dark Lord raised his sword to fight, But the prince stood unarmed instead:
"Your strength is in the lie you told, That valor lives by might and sword; But love has broken death's cold hold, And you no longer are its lord."
He raised the ring; its light shone bright On men and elves who, side by side, Had come as one to stand and fight, And in that light, the lie had died.
Servants of Darkness have met their ends, By enemies who joined as friends; Shone round about them, ring of emerald light, Ending the Dark Lord's evil might.
In the Lake of Fire they were cast, Into torment that will forever last.
For men and elves, a new day dawned; All drank freely from the healing pond. The water of life freely flowed to all, Bringing life to all who heed the call.
The valor of men ‘n’ elves Is love beyond ourselves — A love that reaches others, As though they were our brothers.
Love and virtue, Noble and true, Always abide In these your guide.
Riches are never found in gold True wealth is neither bought nor sold Charity yields a hundredfold True friends remain when you are old.
Value what you know to be true Never again will darkness subdue Virtue will be what you pursue And your life will always renew.
This dark fantasy poem is part of an ongoing fantasy poem series—each installment is a self-contained tale that also weaves subtle allusions to the others, creating a tapestry of epic fantasy poetry and deeply connected fantasy stories that will ultimately form one complete narrative. In this chapter of the saga, the atmosphere leans into the shadows—haunted battlefields, ominous prophecies, and long-buried secrets—while the language remains lyrical and accessible for readers who love story-driven verse. The poem explores how love endures in a world marked by loss, how destiny calls flawed heroes into war, and how the choices they make echo through realms both seen and unseen, all within a compact, cinematic reading experience.
For Further Reading
This is one in a series of fantasy poems that blend dark fantasy with character-focused storytelling. It invites you to follow recurring figures as their paths intertwine across battles, betrayals, and fragile moments of hope.
There’s a poem on the capture of Lenore.
There’s a poem about Lenore’s love.
There’s a poem about how the war began.
If you like this one, check out the other: you can expect similarly atmospheric dark fantasy poems that balance intimate emotions—especially love, grief, and the weight of destiny—with sweeping conflicts of war and magic, each piece adding another layer to the larger epic.
I just finished watching a movie, A Marriage Made In Heaven. In the movie, a talk show host, Demetri Chicopoulos, is divorced, and his wife is remarried. He says a prayer, and God sends a guardian angel who lets him relive a week of his life. Reminds me of It’s a Wonderful Life and The Family Man. He chooses to relive the week his marriage started to fall apart. He takes a chance to do things better. He makes better choices. He skips rehearsal to pick up his kids from school. He goes to marriage counseling. He treats his wife as someone special.
I chose to watch this movie with my wife because I knew she would like a good Christian Romance. This one delivered. As we were watching, my wife and I realized that we had never reached the point where we needed a second chance to save our marriage. We both know that divorce isn’t an option for us. But that doesn’t mean we’ve always gotten it right.
There are days I wish I could live over. There are days I know I didn’t do things right. There are moments when I don’t do things right.
I do believe I have a marriage made in heaven because I believe God put us together. I do not doubt that my wife is the best for me. There are things she does that irritate me, but I know God uses her for my growth. There are times I feel annoyed and times I don’t feel loving or feel loved. But I never doubt her love for me or my love for her.
You may not need a second chance to save your marriage, but you may, like me, wish you had a second chance to do some things better.
What Makes Our Marriage Work
The Purpose of Marriage
Before we were ever married, we read The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. Tim Keller defines marriage as a lifelong, covenantal relationship designed by God to help a husband and wife grow into Christ-likeness. That changed how I view marriage. It is not about making each other happy. It’s about God using our marriage to help us grow and become more like Jesus. I know God uses my wife to help me grow through both what annoys me and what pleases me.
The annoying things aren’t necessarily obstacles to the marriage; sometimes they are opportunities for God to work on us. That’s a hard concept to swallow. Our natural tendency is to stop the annoyance, defend our own way of doing things, or get into a fight.
Knowing God is using those to improve our character gives us pause and a different perspective. It allows us to look inward rather than outward. Instead of trying to change the other, we allow God to change ourselves.
A Covenant Relationship
When we were married, we signed a covenant before God. We knew in our own human ability, we could not make a marriage work, but God could and would. A covenant with God is trusting him to keep our marriage together. What God has joined together no one can separate. Matthew 19:6
God made a covenant with Abraham, knowing that Abraham’s descendants would ultimately fail to keep it with Him. In the ancient Near East, people making a binding agreement cut an animal in half and walked between the halves. This act meant: “May I be torn apart like these animals if I break this promise.” Yet, it was God who passed through the cut bulls. God was saying he would not only keep the covenant but would pay the penalty when Abraham’s descendants broke it. Jesus paid that penalty. See Genesis 15.
God keeps His covenants perfectly. We don’t. So, we need God’s help to keep the marriage covenant we made with each other.
Intentionality – God’s Word
Early in our marriage, we made some intentional decisions.
We decided we would always do devotions together as a couple. We started this practice before we were married. Our first “date” was to study 1 Corinthians 13 together. Since God is love, we decided to study this chapter on love, looking for ways God demonstrated love as defined in it. How is God patient? How is God kind? Etc.
We do individual devotions and quiet time. I know it’s important to connect with God as a man one-on-one. I need to listen for God and to follow him. The best way for me to do that is to read His Word and pray.
I do a Lectio Divina every morning to listen to God. The Word is read to me twice, and I listen for a word or phrase from God. I then think about that word or phrase. Lastly, I respond in prayer.
We’ve added family devotion time since our kids were little. We’d read Scripture, play a kids’ worship song, and pray together. As the girls got older, the song dropped away, and we added devotional books that still centered on Scripture and prayer.
Failure to be in God’s Word is not an option; it is a choice we make every day. God’s Word is the bedrock, the very foundation of our marriage. It must be.
Intentionality – Play
I’ve been on the floor wrestling with my daughters since they were small. We ran around the house, carried them on blankets, and slid down playground slides.
We made up games such as taking household objects, covering them with a towel, and removing one. The girls had to guess what was missing. We had our own variation of a treasure hunt. I would make up riddle clues. The answer led to the next clue. The end was a “treasure,” which was usually a sweet treat or money.
We’ve gone on hikes in the mountains and camping trips. I’ve played with them in pools, lakes, and leaves. Playing with them built a bond. They trust me. They know I consider them important.
As they grew older, we played board games and card games. These taught them valuable skills of following the rules, taking turns, and being good sports. Some of our favorites lately have been “Play Nine” and “Minus Five.”
Being intentional about our family also strengthened our marriage. We were building relationships with our daughters together, creating memories we could share, and learning to enjoy being a family.
Intentionality – Love
Love is not a feeling. It is an action that requires intention. There are days when I don’t feel particularly loving. That’s when choosing to love matters most.
I intentionally hid love notes for my wife to find while I was at work. I intentionally do chores to help her.
Love is serving. I try to find ways to serve my wife, not just doing chores. I listen to her complaints and try to support her.
We discuss raising our kids, determining rules and consequences.
I show her affection. Affection is her primary love language. I show it without any ulterior motive.
I know I must intentionally choose to love my wife each day, and often choose to do so again in difficult moments. Love is a choice followed by actions that prove that choice every moment, every day.
Intentionality – Listening
Listening is critical. I have sometimes found my wife to be better at listening to God than I am, perhaps because she is better in touch with her emotional side than I am.
Once we were going to build a room in our basement, but my wife had a conversation with God about building a bathroom instead. When she told me, I thought she was crazy. We had a contractor coming over to build a room that day, and I had all-day training.
I knew we needed the bedroom because my parents were going to visit that year and we had a new person with intellectual disability living in what was one of the girls’ rooms. The girls were consolidated into one room.
Well, my wife was right. The contractor came when I had a break in the training and agreed to do the bathroom. The room became available when my parents visited because we had not yet signed a contract to care for the person in the room. She was considered a respite person, and the room didn’t belong to her. When the contract was signed, the room became hers, and we could no longer use it ourselves. Since she was considered respite, not permanent, we were able to use her room while she stayed in another home.
Listening doesn’t mean assuming your wife is always right. It means being willing to consider that she might hear something you don’t or have a perspective you can’t see.
Intentionality – Praying
When we were pregnant with our first child, we got away to Glen Eyrie, a Navigator’s Retreat Center. We spent time praying and reading God’s word to prepare ourselves to be parents.
We pray as a couple every day. We pray individually every day. When we disagree, we pray to listen to God and to help us resolve it.
We pray with our kids and for our kids. My wife prays for them before dropping them off at school. Now that I’ve taken on that responsibility, I’m trying to remember to pray before they get out of the car.
I’ve, at various times, laid my hands on my kids to bless them and pray for them. Blessing our children is a Biblical practice found throughout Scripture. Abraham blessed Issac. Issac blessed Jacob. Jacob blessed his sons.
Prayer is both talking and listening to God. If we don’t do this, we’ll be without the most important guide. Left on our own without our guide, we will make costly mistakes, stumble, and fall.
Intentionality – Forgiving
We are not perfect. We make mistakes. I’ve hurt my wife more times than I want to admit. I didn’t set out to hurt her, but I’ve said things and done things that brought her to tears and hurt her feelings.
Recently, I decided not to go to a party with my wife. We had already been to two parties that weekend. In general, I don’t like parties, so I decided to skip this one. Also, my daughter did not do her homework and needed my help. My daughters and I stayed home.
My wife felt very hurt. This party was the most important to her because it was a friend’s 50th Birthday. I did not realize how important it was to my wife, but I should have picked up on the clues. I’ve known my wife, and I can see the clues if I want to. I didn’t want to see them.
My wife was in a terrible mood the next day. When she’s in a bad mood, there’s not much I can do. I wrote a whole blog about the incident. In the end, she forgave me. Forgiveness doesn’t erase what happened. It allows us to stop letting what happened control what happens next.
There have been incidents where my wife was upset with me and hurt me too. I’ve forgiven her just as she forgives me. We both know that God has forgiven us, and so we know to forgive each other.
Holding grudges will destroy our hearts and our marriage. Forgiveness releases grudges and heals our hearts. It is essential.
We Get Another Chance Every Day
I don’t need a guardian angel to give me back a week of my marriage. I don’t need to relive the beginning of our marriage and make different choices.
But there are moments I wish I could do over.
There are words I wish I hadn’t said. There are times I could have listened better. There are moments when I choose frustration over patience, or myself over my wife.
I can’t go back and change those moments, but I can choose what I do with the next moment.
That’s one of the beautiful things about marriage. We don’t have to wait for a miracle or a second chance to start doing things differently. Every day gives us another opportunity to love, to listen, to serve, to forgive, to pray, and to choose each other.
I believe I have a marriage made in heaven—not because our marriage is perfect, and not because we never disagree. I believe it because I believe God brought us together and continues to work through our marriage.
My wife isn’t perfect. Neither am I.
But God uses the imperfect parts of both of us to make us more like Christ.
So I’m not going to wait for a second chance. I’m going to try to do today better than I did yesterday.
And tomorrow, if God gives me another day, I’ll have another chance to love my wife well. I’m going to love my wife more each day, so she feels loved, affirmed, and appreciated.
Maybe that’s what makes our marriage work. Not that we always get it right, but that we keep choosing God, choosing each other, and choosing to grow together.
If you could have one week of your marriage back, what would you do differently—and what can you do differently today?
This dark fantasy poem is part of an ongoing fantasy poem series—each installment is a self-contained tale that also weaves subtle allusions to the others, creating a tapestry of epic fantasy poetry and deeply connected fantasy stories that will ultimately form one complete narrative. In this chapter of the saga, the atmosphere leans into the shadows—haunted battlefields, ominous prophecies, and long-buried secrets—while the language remains lyrical and accessible for readers who love story-driven verse. The poem explores how love endures in a world marked by loss, how destiny calls flawed heroes into war, and how the choices they make echo through realms both seen and unseen, all within a compact, cinematic reading experience.
For Further Reading
This is one in a series of fantasy poems that blend dark fantasy with character-focused storytelling. It invites you to follow recurring figures as their paths intertwine across battles, betrayals, and fragile moments of hope.
There’s a poem on the capture of Lenore.
There’s a poem about Lenore’s love.
There’s a poem about how the war began.
If you like this one, check out the other: you can expect similarly atmospheric dark fantasy poems that balance intimate emotions—especially love, grief, and the weight of destiny—with sweeping conflicts of war and magic, each piece adding another layer to the larger epic.
When wars reach an end change and progress can be slow Such was the aftermath of the war 'tween men and elves Destruction ranged from mountains high to valleys low
These were days when valor equals might and lust compels When sorcery 'n' craft were used to cast evil spells
The mighty are valiant The brave are gallant Live by the virile sword Destroy, pillage 'n' hoard
By bow and by arrow Seek strength in sorcery
Wisdom in divination Live for admiration
King Altiny knew valor's untainted meaning. Taught from his youth that true valor was doing right He sought to end the lie of the Dark Lord's scheming
To spread valor, love's passion for good must ignite Goodness and gentleness had to overpower might
The mighty take a stand To bring peace to the land The brave defend the weak They are not proud but meek Strength is in conviction Wisdom in benediction Rest on a true foundation
Queen Lenore, had an awful dream one frightful day A ewe lamb she cherished and adored above all Ventured out into the elfin forest to play
Her beloved became lost when night began to fall Her lamb would not return to her when she would call
Come back my little ewe Hear my crying for you Where have you gone my love?
Show me oh stars above Come home, come home to me Oh my son, hear my plea
She cried in terror at the meaning of this dream Her first born son would soon give his life for a man Into dark of night the entire land heard her scream
To every shelter 'n' every cave men 'n' elves ran A rolling wave of terror struck the entire land
What is this terror of the night? What has caused such awful fright? Run little elves and hide It is not safe to abide Fear has made our queen scream She has had a nightmarish dream
She hid her child among her kin to keep him safe No man was allowed in the presence of her son Being far from his parents, he felt like a waif
In skill 'n' craft the boy grew and would not be outdone Every game and every contest he won
Who is a match for the elf-man Born of the crimson land A warrior man his father An elfin princess his mother Against him no one can stand
Against the elves, Lenore's son had no equal foe He longed to challenge any man who bragged of might Be they strong in sword or skillful with bow 'n' arrow
The aspen trees whispered of a challenging fight To determine the bravest most powerful knight
Come to the land where the willows weep To the land where the weak do not sleep Come to the land of the mighty and brave To the land of the sinful and deprave
To this contest of skill Lenore's son had to go No mother's fearful plea could keep him from his fate He must pass to the land of the weeping willow
Men were famed to be bold, men were known to be great But Altiny's son was destined to destroy hate
Love requires sacrifice This is the needed price Valor is doing right This is the quest of a knight Go my son into this land Be my voice, be my hand Do not partake of their vile ways Receive my blessing and my praise
Lenore retreated to her chamber to shed her tears She knew this was her stout son's final destiny He'd leave to meet this evil without any fears
This was the set course of the son of Altiny The final cost for the dead Pools of Restiny
At Pools of Restiny
He found his Destiny Into the dead's abode It had been foretold
The path to end the war Between elves and men evermore
Lenore 'n' Altiny had been wed to end the war Now, born of their love, their only son's fate was sealed He would restore valor's meaning forevermore
In a dream his final destiny was reveled From fateful love's mortal wound he would not be healed
Come back my little ewe Hear my crying for you The brave defend the weak They are not proud but meek
Love requires sacrifice This is the needed price
The prince fought bravely defeating each of his foes Until the last knight feared and respected by all Strong was his sharpened sword and mighty were his blows
Like a mighty redwood tree, this knight would not fall He stood like a great giant over nine feet tall
He is mighty ''n' valiant He is brave 'n' gallant He lives by the virile sword Destroy, pillage 'n' hoard By bow and by arrow His strength is in sorcery His wisdom through divination He has gained all admiration
The prince took his stand and prepared his sword to fight The knight laughed and taunted this foolish elfin-man When a scream was heard sending all away in fright
From the sky above goblins invaded the land Against this new evil, prince and knight took their stand
Wicked goblins fly at night Bringing fear and fright Servants of the Dark Lord's hand Against such no one can stand
The knight killed many goblins that horrendous day A goblin shot an arrow toward the knight's head The brave valiant prince jumped into the arrows way
At that moment Lenore knew her brave son was dead Grief struck both men 'n' elves of the shore crimson red
On the shores crimson red Grows a velvet flower bed King Altiny's son's resting place The grave of queen Lenore's delight
Who taught by his blood and grace That valor stood for doing right
This dark fantasy poem is part of an ongoing fantasy poem series—each installment is a self-contained tale that also weaves subtle allusions to the others, creating a tapestry of epic fantasy poetry and deeply connected fantasy stories that will ultimately form one complete narrative. In this chapter of the saga, the atmosphere leans into the shadows—haunted battlefields, ominous prophecies, and long-buried secrets—while the language remains lyrical and accessible for readers who love story-driven verse. The poem explores how love endures in a world marked by loss, how destiny calls flawed heroes into war, and how the choices they make echo through realms both seen and unseen, all within a compact, cinematic reading experience.
For Further Reading
This is one in a series of fantasy poems that blend dark fantasy with character-focused storytelling. It invites you to follow recurring figures as their paths intertwine across battles, betrayals, and fragile moments of hope.
There’s a poem on the capture of Lenore.
There’s a poem about Lenore’s love.
There’s a poem about how the war began.
If you like this one, check out the other: you can expect similarly atmospheric dark fantasy poems that balance intimate emotions—especially love, grief, and the weight of destiny—with sweeping conflicts of war and magic, each piece adding another layer to the larger epic.
In her despair hollow, dark and lonely Away long 'n' far from her one and only In desperate shadows she waits forlornly Her desires and dreams seize her northernly
Lonely Lenore, aching for her love, Cries out to the pixies above: "Where is my love, my life, my one? Is he alive? Has the war been won?"
Your love survives Upon the Crimson Shore; Yes, he remains alive, Far from hidden Danore.
"My love will never find me here; I live in anguish year by year, Hidden from his searching sight By spells that shroud this isle in night."
Take the ring from your hand; By its power your love will stand. Its magic leads to destiny Among the Pools of Restiny.
"But the ring keeps me safe and alive; Without it, how will I survive? Its light has hid me all these years; Without it, who will calm my fears?"
You and your love will unite before you die; That the ring sustains you is a lie. It's love that has sustained you, And love will see you through.
Then Lenore slipped the ring from her hand And bound it to her golden chain, And though her heart would ache again, She gave it to the pixie band:
"The ring and all its glory Will be the end of our story. Bid him not to search for me, But sail upon the eastern sea. Give it to my love far away; Go now, without delay."
Into the night the pixies flew Like starlight fading from her view, And on the cold ground of Danore Knelt empty-handed Lenore.
"So now our fate is sealed, While my life and love lie concealed."
This dark fantasy poem is part of an ongoing fantasy poem series—each installment is a self-contained tale that also weaves subtle allusions to the others, creating a tapestry of epic fantasy poetry and deeply connected fantasy stories that will ultimately form one complete narrative. In this chapter of the saga, the atmosphere leans into the shadows—haunted battlefields, ominous prophecies, and long-buried secrets—while the language remains lyrical and accessible for readers who love story-driven verse. The poem explores how love endures in a world marked by loss, how destiny calls flawed heroes into war, and how the choices they make echo through realms both seen and unseen, all within a compact, cinematic reading experience.
For Further Reading
This is one in a series of fantasy poems that blend dark fantasy with character-focused storytelling. It invites you to follow recurring figures as their paths intertwine across battles, betrayals, and fragile moments of hope.
There’s a poem on the capture of Lenore.
There’s a poem about Lenore’s love.
There’s a poem about how the war began.
If you like this one, check out the other: you can expect similarly atmospheric dark fantasy poems that balance intimate emotions—especially love, grief, and the weight of destiny—with sweeping conflicts of war and magic, each piece adding another layer to the larger epic.
In the land's darkest years Of violence and rage From prejudicial fears Before the golden age Into the human race Altiny was born His parents died by grace Of a poisonous thorn
Near the cold northern shore The child was raised by elves In days of zealous war When men detested elves And hearts were filled with rage Stout and brave, Altiny Became of ready age To seek his destiny.
From the cold northern shore For his dear elfin king Upon his breast he wore A bright emerald ring Tied to a golden chain Pride of the northern elves Symbol of elfin reign That held some mystic spells. At Pools of Restiny Go find your Destiny Into the dead’s abode And it will be foretold The path to end the war Between elves and men evermore
Upon the northern sea He set sail to the east To seek the wizardry Of the ancient deceased Kings and warriors bold Both men and elves alike Long before hearts were cold When valor stood for right.
A dragon-toothed arrow Within his gold quiver Birthed in the nymph's meadow By the enthralled river Was his valiant slayer As sharp and as deadly As an elfin saber Engaged masterfully.
His ship was built of glass And diamonds mined by dwarves Silk sails on silver mast Found within elfin turves Sown by golden thread Decks made of fine gemstones Elfin flag crimson red Night and day ever flown. Red the color of sand Of my now distant land Red the color of blood My sad crimson rose bud Red the color of fire My passionate desire
The sea waves played their song As the breeze chilled his soul While he voyaged along Toward his unknown goal Undaunted he remained Committed to his course His boldness unexplained His heart filled with remorse
His true love left behind Fairest elf of the shore Their one heart intertwined Altiny and Lenore Keep their true love hidden Vile prejudicial ways Makes their love forbidden To anger set ablaze
Long days and longer nights His ship sailed through the storms Creatures rose up for fights In many dreadful forms Altiny, his course kept Not cowed by death nor harm Although his seamen wept Not eased by his great charm In battles of the night When evil brings fright When all our hope seems lost To pay for freedom’s cost Though we be just a few Hold onto what is true
But the crew would not sway And threw him in the sea During a darkened day By evil spells decree Maddening the elf crew Poisoning the weak mind With fears changing hope to A dark reign of mankind
Altiny would have drowned Had he not by tender Caring pixies been found Bright with starlike splendor Pixies cast spells of light Floating him to the coast Driving away the night Then vanishing as ghosts
He dreamed of his Lenore A vision full of fears From the cold northern shore She had been gone for years Taken by a dark Lord On a ghostly grey mare Bound by an evil cord To his concealed lair
Awakened from the dream Altiny had arrived Near the deceased's regime Amazed he had survived To continue his quest To find his destiny To make his one request At Pools of Restiny At Pools of Restiny Go find your Destiny Into the dead’s abode And it will be foretold The path to end the war Between elves and men evermore
Etched on the elfin ring He read these words once more His heart began to sing Of his red northern shore Hope renewed in his soul As he pressed on his way To the Pools of Restiny For he will not betray His quest for destiny
Over mountains and hills Into valleys below Evil wizards sent chills Blocking his path with snow ‘La lumière d'émeraude fond' ‘Light of emerald melt' The snow became a pond By this warm spell he dealt.
Trolls would not grant passage So arrows through their hearts Attained him free access Goblins shot poisoned darts But goblins were no match For dragon-toothed arrows He left without a scratch Moving through the narrows
Beyond the narrows lay The Pools of Restiny Only one night away To know his destiny Through the dark he went on To gaze into the pool By the breaking of dawn For this was the dead's rule
‘Me montrer ma destinée' ‘Show me my destiny' Uttered Altiny At Pools of Restiny ‘Find your love left behind Fairest elf of the shore Be one heart intertwined Marry your love Lenore'
Through many more perils Altiny for his love Would go on to travel To unite with his love He would find her rescued By men the elves hated Over the wars ensued From vile spells of hatred Hatred exists no more For the true love of Altiny and Lenore Brought peaceful love Between elves and men evermore
This dark fantasy poem is part of an ongoing fantasy poem series—each installment is a self-contained tale that also weaves subtle allusions to the others, creating a tapestry of epic fantasy poetry and deeply connected fantasy stories that will ultimately form one complete narrative.
Imagine trying to teach a nine-year-old about racism by sitting them down and explaining it directly.
You could talk about history, injustice, fear, and prejudice. Showing them facts and figures could impress them. You could try to explain why it’s wrong and what they should think about it.
And they would nod politely. And nothing would change.
Now imagine a grandmother sitting down with her grandchildren and reading about a white mouse who has spent his whole life teaching his family that black rats are filthy and dangerous — until a flood comes and the rat saves everyone the mouse loves most.
Nobody’s family is on trial. Nobody feels accused. But when the grandmother closes the book and asks, “Why do you think Rhubarb felt the way he did about rats?” — something real begins to happen.
That is the power of allegory.
What Allegory Is — And Why It Works
Direct moral instruction can make children defensive or disengaged. When lectured, we listen with the intent to respond. We get defensive. Rarely are we convinced beyond our preconceived ideas and paradigms.
An allegory teaches lessons through story and removes our natural barriers and defenses.
An allegory is a story with a double meaning. There is a surface narrative about characters and events, and a much deeper meaning about human experience, faith, society, or morality running beneath it. The characters and situations are fictional, but what they represent is entirely real.
Aesop’s Fables is one of the most famous examples of allegory. In the Tortoise and the Hare, two fictional characters race. The slower one wins not because of speed, but because of consistency and determination. The lesson of consistent determination is universal and applicable to life.
According to the American Journal, allegory serves as a valuable tool for facilitating discussions and promoting a deeper understanding of complex subjects.
When a lesson is wrapped in narrative, the brain processes it differently. We have two sides to our brain: the logical, practical side and the emotional side. When processing stories, the emotional side is activated. We experience the story more personally and more memorably than when it’s delivered as a direct proposition. You don’t just understand the idea. You feel it. And what you feel, you remember. Emotions are a powerful teacher.
The Precedent
Before we look at books, it’s worth remembering where allegory comes from.
Jesus repeatedly used narrative and parable to communicate truths that could have been expressed propositionally. Rather than lecture about compassion, he told of a man left dying on a road and the Samaritan who stopped to help. To illuminate forgiveness, he described a father running to welcome his prodigal son home. And instead of defining eternal life, he spoke of a man who found a pearl of great price and sold everything to possess it.
The parable of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are allegories. Even the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation carry allegorical dimensions. God has always used story to open doors that lecture cannot.
John Bunyan understood this. His Pilgrim’s Progress — one of the most widely read books in Christian history — follows a character named Christian on a journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Every encounter, every obstacle, every companion is allegorical. Yet millions of readers over three centuries have found themselves in that story in ways no theological treatise could.
Examples of Allegory
The Chronicles of Narnia: Allegory in a Child’s World
C.S. Lewis understood that children think concretely before they think abstractly. You cannot hand a nine-year-old a theology textbook. But you can hand them a story about a great lion who dies on a Stone Table and rises again. They will feel the weight of the cross before they have the vocabulary to name it. They will feel Lucy and Susan’s sadness as they watch Aslan’s sacrifice.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is probably the most famous example. Aslan’s substitutionary death and resurrection mirror Christ’s sacrifice. Edmund’s complete forgiveness reflects divine grace rather than karma or endless guilt. The White Witch tempts Edmund with a sweet treat through small compromises, showing how deception leads to bondage in a way a child can see and feel. Edmund betrays his family much like Judas betrayed Jesus.
Other books in the series
But Lewis didn’t stop there. Every book in the series carries its own allegorical weight:
The Magician’s Nephew explores creation by spoken word and the temptation and fall of man, mirroring Genesis. The Horse and His Boy teaches divine guidance, providence, and the stripping away of human pride. Prince Caspian encourages faith when revival or deliverance seems delayed. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader illustrates spiritual transformation. Eustace is “un-dragoned,” which points toward our inability to save ourselves. The Silver Chair warns believers to hold fast to the Lion’s core command amid distraction. The Last Battle depicts judgment and the transition to Aslan’s Country — heaven itself.
Seven books. Seven doorways into truths that, taught directly, might bounce off a child’s heart. Wrapped in story, they walk in through a different entrance.
In Lewis’ Own Word
Lewis himself said it plainly — and it became the opening words of my own Complete Companion Guide: “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
He wasn’t writing for children. He was writing about the truth that children and adults share.
The Kingdom Series: Allegory for the Whole Bible
Chuck Black, a Christian fiction author and former F-16 fighter pilot, wrote the six-book Kingdom Series — medieval action allegories that retell the Bible from Genesis to Revelation for ages eight and up. The books are widely used as family read-alouds and homeschool devotionals, with discussion questions tied to Scripture at the back of each volume.
On an episode of Schoolhouse Rocked, host Aby Rinella welcomed Chuck to discuss why making room for doubt and hard questions is essential in Christian homeschool families. Rather than treating a child’s spiritual doubt as a threat, Chuck argued that it can become a doorway to deeper, more personally owned faith.
Chuck’s approach to this is through story. A child who asks hard questions about God while reading an allegory about knights and battles is not in danger — they’re in the safest possible environment to wrestle with what they believe and why.
Chuck and I share the same conviction: the right story can open a door that a direct conversation sometimes can’t.
Redeeming Rhubarb: An Allegory of Mice and Rats
When I set out to write a story about prejudice, I didn’t want to use human characters. If I chose human characters of specific races or ethnicities, readers who didn’t belong to those groups might disengage. They might feel accused, or disconnected, or simply unrepresented. The lesson I wanted to teach would only reach part of the audience it was meant for.
So I chose mice and rats.
I made a deliberate allegorical decision. The same instinct that led C.S. Lewis and Chuck Black to write allegories, led me.
It’s rooted in the Biblical example of Jesus, who tells stories about farmers and fishermen rather than making direct accusations about the Pharisees’ behavior.
By using animals, I removed the human element entirely. A grandmother can sit down with her grandchildren and discuss racism from the perspective of mice and rats without pointing fingers at anyone in the room, to parents or neighbors. The conversation can go where it needs to go. They can discuss fear, prejudice, and what hatred costs the one who holds it without anyone feeling personally attacked.
Reversing Preconceived Notions
I also chose mice and rats specifically to challenge existing biases. Most readers arrive with a pre-formed reaction to each animal. Mice are cute and small and sympathetic. Rats are dirty, dangerous, and feared. I reversed those expectations entirely.
In Redeeming Rhubarb, the rat is the hero — wise, patient, sacrificial, and forgiving. The mouse is the one causing harm, hating, and trying to destroy. That reversal is deliberate. The moment a reader realizes they’ve been rooting for the wrong animal is the moment the allegory does its deepest work — because they begin to ask why they assumed what they assumed, and whether those assumptions extend to people.
How Children Experience a Story
Children experience a story differently than adults do. They don’t analyze it from a distance. Instead, they enter it. They inhabit the characters, feel what the characters feel, and carry those emotions with them long after the book is closed.
In Redeeming Rhubarb, that emotional journey runs through three very different characters. Children will see themselves in each one and feel their emotions.
Barnabas awakens their compassion. He is kind to the very mouse who despises him and forgives when he has every reason not to be. Children who follow Barnabas feel what genuine grace looks like before they have a word for it. They don’t need to be told that loving your enemies is the right thing to do. They watch Barnabas do it, and they feel why it matters.
Strawberry gives children a voice. Her sadness and frustration over her father’s blindness and watching someone she loves refuse to see what is right in front of him is one of the most relatable experiences in the book. Children who have ever known an adult who was wrong about something important will recognize Strawberry’s position immediately. She becomes the reader’s representative inside the story, asking the questions the reader wants to ask.
And Rhubarb brings them closest to the truth about themselves. His prejudice is not cartoonish. It has reasons such as real grief, real wounds, real history. As his hatred brings painful consequences to the family he loves, children feel his growing shame before he does. They see it coming before he can admit it. And when he finally falls to his knees, the relief they feel is not just his — it is theirs. Because Rhubarb is not a villain; he is a broken person who finally lets himself be reached.
That is what allegory accomplishes that a lecture never could. Children don’t just learn about prejudice and forgiveness — they experience them, at a safe distance, inside the lives of a mouse and a rat.
Allegory is a Tool
American Journal states that through symbolic representations and metaphors, readers can approach complex subjects from a new perspective, making them more relatable and accessible. This, in turn, creates a space for dialogue and exploration, enabling readers to engage with the text and share their insights and interpretations.
That is exactly what happens when a family reads Redeeming Rhubarb together. The story is about mice and rats. The conversation is about us.
Why This Matters for Your Family and Homeschool
Research confirms what storytellers and scripture writers have always practiced. Books serve as both mirrors and windows for children — mirrors in which children can see themselves, and windows that widen their world. Allegory amplifies both functions: it gives children a mirror they can look into without feeling exposed, and a window into experiences and moral questions they might otherwise avoid.
Here are three practical ways allegory creates the safe space children need:
It removes the personal threat. When the story is about Rhubarb, not about Dad, a child can examine prejudice without the conversation feeling like an accusation. They can disagree with Rhubarb, feel ashamed of Rhubarb, and root for Barnabas — and all of that emotional processing prepares them for the harder conversation about what happens in real life.
It invites honest questions. When a child asks “why does Rhubarb hate the rats so much?” they are doing theology without knowing it. They’re asking about the roots of hatred, about inherited fear, about what grief does to a person when it isn’t healed. You can answer that question fully and honestly without anyone in the room feeling implicated or guilty.
It makes the lesson stick. Stories can make abstract ideas more memorable and emotionally striking. A child who reads Rhubarb’s story will carry Barnabas’s grace with them long after the book is closed, because they didn’t just learn about forgiveness. They watched it happen, on the page, at real cost, and they felt what it felt like when the walls finally came down.
Where to Start
If you’re looking for allegories to add to your family reading or homeschool curriculum, here are my recommendations in order:
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis — for all ages, start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black — excellent for ages 8 and up, strong for family devotions
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan — the original English-language Christian allegory; several excellent children’s adaptations exist
Redeeming Rhubarb by Bob Richley — a middle-grade allegory about prejudice, forgiveness, and redemption, with a free 46-chapter Complete Companion Guide available at bobrichleyauthor.store
The safe space your child needs to wrestle with the hardest questions isn’t a classroom or a lecture. It’s a story. Give them a good one, and then sit down with them and see where it goes.
Resources:
Free Redeeming Rhubarb resources — discussion guides, unit studies, grammar supplements, and the Complete Companion Guide — are available free at bobrichleyauthor.store.
Chuck Black’s Kingdom Series is available at chuckblack.com and wherever Christian books are sold.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is available wherever books are sold.
