Princes in the Tower

The willow doth say to the dove
Two babes of mirror though they say
Were born to royal upon this day.
Two babes the same came the herald’s call
Though not to know of lancaster’s fall

The dove doth say to the badger
Two children of the red rose play abound
Of battles and hunt and dragons with roaring sounds
Two children though they are peaceful at night
Know not of the white rose’s might

The Badger doth say to the doe
Two boys of innocence though they are
Two boys of mischief as they search afar
Two boys of whom whispers came
Of treachery and secrets of the same

The doe doth say to the squirrel
Two youths whom manhood quickly doth come
Two youths whom laughter brings joy to some
Two youths to whom York doth scorn
Whose blood will run freely the white rose’s thorns

The squirrel doth say to the willow gently
Two young men though they were
Two young men were to cause a stir
A threat to whom the house of york could not take

Two young men whose lives they were to forsake
Two young men in a tower ever so high
Two young men upon a cold stone floor do they lie
Two young men of whom are mirrors they say
Whose blood and life do run freely as they lay

All for the rise and the fall of two houses of power
Upon which lay a struggle in which two lives were to sour
A white rose whose thorns did prick
Two young men upon whom poison ran thick
The fall of Lancaster the rise of York
Which came about with a deadly fork

The willow’s branches which stood tall and strong
Bend at the beginnings as it listens to deaths coming song
It’s tears it doth bring about so freely
As it cries with sadness that can be heard quite keenly

Of two babes of mirror
Two boys the same
Of two youths of innocence though they did say
Their death comes about in this deadly game
Two young men with arms around one another
On deaths cold bed they did slumber
The willow doth weep and forever shall
Of innocence lost and never to again to be found