Three friends gather solemnly graveside
Together for the first time in years
One ceremony ends so another can begin
Stubborn stoicism gives way now to tears
They briefly convene at “The Dark Horse”
A favorite haunt from back in the day
But quickly it became clear to the fellows
That there was really nothing left to say
It was then that Joey remembered
Something pended, needed completing
Forty years ago they paused a great quest
Never realizing that time was so fleeting
They set out back to the old neighborhood
To the sanctuary of Bobby’s old cellar
Where a wise wizard once wove great tales
Of four travelers facing dungeon dwellers
Keith could still picture the module
Buried somewhere among detritus and dust
A grand expedition on perpetual pause
Reconstructed from clay, bone and rust
There on a shelf in the corner it lay
A treasure box of unfinished glory
Where four boys had once embarked
Three men would now return to the story
Bobby quickly resumed his role as DM
While all phones were set to “DND” mode
Joey issued the dice and character sheets
Bobby reestablished the scene on the road
“Four weary travelers came upon a fork,”
He began, in a voice forty years dormant
“Lord Stanford, it’s your move now”
The boys were pulled back into the moment
Only a few breaths passed in silence
Then Joey, sensing the unspoken cue
Answered for the empty seat at the table
“I cast the spell of unlimited view.”
The paths beyond the fork clearly resolved
To the right, a well-traveled road to refuge
While the left offered only entangled brush
Twisting toward a dark and ominous deluge
Keith spoke quick with authority
“The happy path offers no chance to grow
And smooth seas make unskilled sailors
So it’s towards chaos I say we should go.”
No objections from the party were spoken
As the travelers set off to the unknown
Almost instantly they encountered demons
Spawned from the long forgotten zone
“I bring my plus four battle ax to the ready.”
Joey calls without any delay
“Roll high,” Bobby offers in warning
“You’ll need a twenty to carry the day.”
With a confident toss the twenty turns up
And though the round has barely begun
Keith quickly dispatches his share
Lord Stanford ensures that the battle is won
The hours melt away for the travelers
Now completely immersed in this reality
Through the power of pure imagination
The travelers have been granted immortality
As predicted, the chosen path was not easy
And at times the party grew apart
Through it all, Lord Stanford was present
Resolving conflict with a warm and kind heart
