The Lord of Misrule, and Other Poems

The opening poem bursts into a riotous May‑day celebration, where villagers storm a sleepy church armed with streamers, green boughs and bright song. Their exuberant leader, a Lord of Misrule, turns solemn prayers into a dance of laughter, teasing the parish clerk and the sexton. The verses tumble with vivid images—crimson hats, white shoulders, blooming hawthorn—painting a countryside that revels in the sudden return of spring. Through playful language and rhythmic chants, the poem invites listeners to feel the pulse of folk tradition and cheeky defiance of order.

Beyond this opening revel, the volume gathers a varied assortment of poems that travel from enchanted islands to wartime skies, from the quiet contemplation of an old oak to the stirring chant of a marching fleet. Noyes blends classic lyricism with modern concerns, letting each piece echo a different facet of early‑twentieth‑century life while retaining timeless musicality. Listeners will discover reflections on love, loss, and the search for hope alongside brighter, theatrical bursts of imagination. The collection feels like a walk through a garden where every path leads to another unexpected bloom.