The Ballad of the Rival Lord's Son

Fanwork
Title:	The Ballad of the Rival Lord's Son
Creator:	Ciana Mitchell
Date(s):	1991
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
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The Ballad of the Rival Lord's Son is a 6-7 page story in rhyme by Ciana Mitchell.

It was published in Scattered Stars #3.

inside page from issue #3, Chris Soto -- "This Kirk is wonderful, He looks good even though he does have clothes on. The hair is long, and the eyes wonderful. His expression is interesting, and it fits the long narrative poem/story that it goes with, "The Ballad of the Rival Lord's Son." This would make a beautiful cover, too. It has a very dark background which, I think, is unusual for Chris, and this makes the picture even more striking."

Reactions and Reviews

This is a very good poem/story. Even if you don't like poetry, you'll like this. The story is very fast paced and full of action. If you like poetry, you'll like this because it's very nicely done and the rhyme is not obtrusive, which, of course, it shouldn't be anyway. In the story Kirk is being forced to bond with another to save his people. Just to give you an idea of the flavor of the poem, I'll quote this part:

Is it so great a price

to let him sleep with me,

if to bond with him

keeps my people free?

You can tell by this that it's very nicely written poetry that's poetry but doesn't sound like poetry. That's compliment even though I realize I may not be making myself clear.

To me, the only real poetry is rhymed and metered verse. This poem was nicely rhymed, but I never could get a fix on the meter she was using.

I really liked this long poem. It tells a story in rhyme that keeps the reader's interest.