Sleeping Heroes, Edward Shanks.

Sleeping Heroes.
by Edward Shanks, 1892-?

Old Barbarossa
Sleeps not alone
With his beard flowing over
The grey mossy stone.

Arthur is with him
And Charlemain. The three
Wait for awakening,
Wait to be free.

With the raven calls them
They’ll rise all together
And gird their three swords on
And look at the weather.

Arthur will swear it is
A very cold morning:
Charlemain says a red sunrise
Is the shepherd’s warning.

Barbarossa says nothing
But feels in every bone
A pang of rheumatism
From sleeping on wet stone.

Then from grey heaven
Comes a mist of faint rain
And the three sleeping heroes
Turn to sleep again.