Rhyme//for the sake of rhyme//for the sake of medieval manuscript marginalia.

Editorializing in the Middle Ages

While a Templar quite hale
facing off with a snail
graces an old bizarre tale
with a great iron mace,
his shield bearing a face,
he stands with courage and grace.

A grand bishop with birds
gathered round in a herd
craning to catch his last word
in the Medieval age
is a scholarly sage
edging a manuscript page. 

Monks would carefully write
toiling hours in dim light,
sure to make each letter right.
They doodled when bored, but
these bald clerics were nuts,
drawing lewd Middle-Aged smut.

The optional prompt from NaPoWriMo 2017 for Day 24 of National Poetry Writing Month/Global Poetry Writing Month is to write an ekphrasis (a poem inspired by a work of art) regarding medieval manuscript marginalia. (Apparently, monks addressed their boredom while doodling on the manuscripts as they wrote.)
Image sources (in order): io9.gizmodo.com / tumblr.com / io9.gizmodo.com