Hands On (Heart): Dark Souls

Mr Florence, known for his mild verse, has been playing Dark Souls on the console boxes, and wants to convey that experience to you now.

Hi. Rab Florence here. Dark Souls is coming to PC, and so I must talk to you about it. I think that the game is one of the most important designs of the past decade. I'm so glad you're all going to be able to play it. It doesn't feel like a console game. Don't worry about that. Within its dark halls and its vast caverns, there is the ambition and experimentation of the very best PC games. I love it. I love it so dearly that only poetry can properly express that love. I wrote this in a forest last night. Thanks to RPS for publishing this piece, and thanks to you for reading it out loud in your place of work.

TO A DARK SOUL

Praise the Sun.
Oh, Praise the Sun.
What once was ended
Again begun.
With stone in fist and sword in hand
Once more into this nightmare land.
A foe you feared is now a fool,
Your blade is quick, your temper cool.
With ease, you take his head away.
His soul is yours again today.
And on, and up, and further in
A Narnia of death and sin.
And here, a bell, and there, a thing
Make that there die, make this here ring
And hurry to the friendly fire
Before the sour fates should conspire
To fling you to the rocks below
Or poison you and take you slow.
And as you sit and take your rest
Your heart stops pounding in your chest.
You send this universe away
And go to live your waking day.

But it is there, is always there.
Undead Parish – always there.
Darkroot Basin – always there.
In your mind, yes, always there.
Sen's Fortress, mercy – always there.
Anor Londo – always there.
Blighttown, mercy – always there.
In your soul, yes, always there.

And there you always will return
To bend a knee and praise the sun.
To mend a world,
Oh, Praise the Sun.
What once was ended
Again begun.