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TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: TALE OF THE TOWER by Stephen Toogood

I slipped through into delusion
And let someone derail me.
I let them in the tower—
Where below the turret,
In a room my heart once was locked.
After, they climbed down the steps
With bloody sword—
And left.

From then on, no birds came to the tower.
No chirps,
And inside, no cheer.
I kept it locked for so long.
And now all the moss and lichen—
And all the different hanging flowers,
Long have disappeared.

I could have put razors on the ledges,
And snarling, slobbering dogs before the moat,
Piranhas in the water,
Even laid an ominous altar
For the blood of the lamb, and one conspicuous goat.

But I wanted someone to see my tower—
Which was built so long ago
At the edge of this eternal dark forest,
Where few had ventured, and even the hardiest would dare not go.

I wanted to show the light that came in the highest window
And its majestic view.
I longed so much for rushing words—
Not like the drone and clatter of the nearby town.
And I unbolted my door, for you.

But now the tower stands—
A sterile monument.
And one day it will topple down.
One day, sterile and barren, it will topple down.

By Stephen Toogood

“Tale of the Tower” is by Stephen Toogood, a Tbilisi-based teacher who enjoys guitar and 20th-century American literature. He received a BA in creative writing and an MA in sonic arts from the University of Winchester. His poems have appeared in Eunoia Review and The Madison Review. “Tale of the Tower” was inspired by Magyar fairy tales. It explores liminal spaces and mystical symbolism. Its conclusion, while fatalistic, reflects the tradition from which the poem emerges. Multiple stories mingle in this poem as you read through it, and what is rather enjoyable, in particular, is getting lost in those layers as the poem continues.

This month, Trafika Europe celebrates verse! Our all verse issue will be released shortly and we can’t wait to share more wonderful poetry with you all. Check out our socials for the announcement of the issue.

By Clayton McKee

Read previous posts in The Trafika Europe Corner series:

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: Five Publishing Houses to Check Out

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: 2025 EUPL mini-series

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: VISA by Niels Hav

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: Upcoming Submission Opportunities with Trafika Europe

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: 2025 LITERARY PRIZES announced

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: two poems by Maria Carbunaru

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: two poems by Mark Murphy

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: two poems by Tom Fleming

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: THE POSSESSED by Witold Gombrowicz, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

TRAFIKA EUROPE CORNER with Clayton McKee: REGAINING RESISTANCE by Arno Bohlmeijer