Pool Of Avarice Poem: A Tale of Greed, Storms and Silence
High up on the windswept slopes of Mynydd Henllys, I found myself drawn to a place I’d heard whispered about for years – Pwll Tra, the Pool of Avarice. It’s a strange, silent pool with no stream running in or out, yet it’s never dry. Locals say it hides secrets beneath its still surface – of greed, punishment, and souls swallowed by the mountain. The eerie atmosphere and the old story inspired me to write the Pool of Avarice poem, capturing the tale as it’s been passed down through generations.
Read on, if you dare….
The Pool Of Avarice
On a summer’s night above Cwmbran,
Wanders a man on a quest to feed his clan.
Been out all day, very tired and weak-
Some food or drink is what he seeks.
Through pastures and fields of heather,
A grey, dull day with misty weather.
A cloud-like fog then descends the hill,
Bringing eerie silence and bitter chill.
The dragon’s breath, locals say,
Can appear at any time of day.
Making his way at any cost,
Enters a dark forest, trying not to get lost.
The silent wood, not a place to fear-
Then startled by a large roe deer.
At the edge of the forest, he sees a light-
Is this his chance to end his plight?
Getting closer with awe, he sees
A great big house with topiary trees.
Reached the door, too weak to knock-
Minutes later, the turn of a lock.
Before him stood a lady, haughty and proud,
“What do you want?” she yelled aloud.
“Please, food, drink, or anything spare.”
She shuts the door after saying, “Wait there.”
Moments later, all the family appeared,
Said nothing—only laughed and jeered.
Must have been some private joke,
No respect for common folk.
“Now go away,” and the door did slam,
Leaving nothing for this poor, tired man.
As he walked away, the sky went black,
An extremely loud thunder crack.
All of a sudden, the earth it shook-
He stopped in his tracks, turned to look.
A flash of lightning, bright white light,
Blinding him on this dark night.
Through his gaze, the earth was moving-
Hillside, a giant beast, the house consuming.
He shut his eyes, thought he was dreaming-
The crash of rubble and people screaming.
Seconds later, all was still,
Sound of silence, eerie chill.
Thick fog lifted, that dragon’s breath-
But souls were taken to unknown depths.
A family with their life so glamorous,
Their tomb is now the Pool of Avarice.
If you visit and see the reeds,
Think about this tale of greed.
With no streams flowing in or out,
The water muffles their souls that shout.
But lots of locals have heard cries-
Apparently coming from deep inside.
Richard Edwards
🖋️ Behind the POOL OF AVARICE Poem
I’ve always been interested in the stranger corners of the landscape – the places where the wind sounds a little different and the silence feels a bit too heavy. The Pool of Avarice is one of those places. No stream feeds it, no water flows out… and yet it’s always full. I took a walk up there one misty afternoon, and the air felt thick with old secrets. The tale of the swallowed house wouldn’t leave my head – so I did what any slightly weird bloke with a notebook might do: I wrote a poem.
If you’re curious where this mysterious pool actually is – and fancy testing your nerve – head over to the main Pool of Avarice post for all the details, eerie legends, and a route guide that won’t (hopefully) end in a landslide.
🌫️ One Last Word…
They say the reeds whisper on stormy nights.
Just don’t stay too long…
You never know who’s listening. 👀
You are a good poet as well as photographer.
Looking forward to the next one. X
Thank you .. I’ll keep trying my best
This is amazing! New Dylan Thomas in the making 👏
Hardly ..😂 but thank you
Great poem Rich like the look of the website
Thank you Rod that was all Simply Spun Website doing I could’ve changed anything but happy with the creation they did for me
Well done Rich very good your 1 talented individual
Thank you Steve