#08.08.16

-for two important people

The Tower of London was everything that a castle had been said to be. It was the image that was sustained in children’s books and fantastical novels, in grungy television shows and in cinema. It was surrounded by a stone wall, thick and sturdy against the weathered Thames. The stones themselves were brown-gray in color, carefully mortared together and filled with heavily manned gates, to defend against intruders of all kinds. The ancient Roman made wall was a stone’s throw away from the medieval keep, and the heart of London seemed to be centered around the imposing, multi century fortress. But the Tower itself was haunted, if not by real ghosts, as many claimed, then by the specters of its checkered and bloodied past. Just as the Tower itself did not look as if it had been made to do beautiful things, the deeds that had been carried within the Palace walls were anything but beautiful. Ravens croaked mournful songs in the courtyards, and sheets of rain covered the grounds in a dreary, haunted atmosphere. It was easy to feel that the Tower had been a place of torment for many and pleasure for few. It was a palace of war and a remaining monument to prisoners. Though the number that had died within the Tower’s wall and moat was limited, the death had seeped into the stones. Many weapons and devices of torture were kept within the Tower in display cases. Everything from exotic gifts to the armors of rulers were kept in the walls of the white tower, once the central Norman palace, now an armory. It was the oldest feature of the Tower of London, and the place where the bones of two children had been found buried; evidence of a crime committed by an ancient king. The tower was drafty, the fires long unlit and the ceilings high. The glittering armor was dented and bruised from many a battle, but well kept. It shone in low lights of the White Tower, whispering with the battles of the past. There was even armor for a giant and a dwarf, for children and horses. The Tower itself was living, breathing history, as were all of the contents inside, from the armor to the menageries.

1. I had a good workout. 2. I am not going back to work at my old job, the relief is immense. I am now free to find something with hours that suit our life. 3. Pizza for dinner 😀😁😀😁😀

ashtonirwin: Sending some love out there, it's been great to calm my mind after being on tour for so long & resist posting online for a few days, sometime's we all say too much, having some song ideas again, I've been non stop thinking about the future and what it holds... See you all back on the road soon xx

lukehemmings: Typical Runyon picture 👌🏻