Sunset in the sky,
Sky red with light,
Fields red with blood.1
Astride my horse,
Spear in hand,
I rode out into the sunset
Eager to deal death.
It was a bloody border war
Against the barbarians.
But it was the way of my father –
The way of the son –
Fight for thy king,
Maintain thy honour!
So fight I did, and I did it well.
I dealt death,
To men scarcely older than me,
Perhaps with families like me,
Fathers like me?
I slashed and cut,
Stabbed and jabbed
And wove around the smoking battlefield.
The fear and rage reared like a dragon,
Over the smoking battlefield.
Anger drowned out the cries of death –
I flung my spear into my enemy’s heart.
On foot, drawing my sword.
Killing and maiming –
Fight for thy kingdom!
Fight for thy king!
I ducked and weaved,
In combat with another,
He sidesteps, throws his knife
As I lunge for his heart.
Blade meets flesh,
Rips the skin,
Tears it apart,
Ceases to live.
I die slowly on the battlefield,
Heart pulsating,
Wound leaking blood.
Keel over,
My soul is lost.
But my honour is strengthened.
They will bury me with pride.2
Anon,
The battle is done,
My king victorious.
But no one comes for the dead,
No one, except for,
The carrion crows.
For,
They have forgotten us.3
Sunset in the sky,
Sky red with light,
Fields red with blood.4
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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Good
May I suggest an even more traggic title. Something like: "Song of the Forgotten Warrior"?or "Song of Warrior, Lost?" Truely epic in scoope, it ends as it begins, showing what we think and who we are are truely different.
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Dark. This whole thing was very fast paced yet still has a smooth flow to it. I love the repition of the first and last stanza it holds so much meaning. The first just describes a battle feild but the last holds so much emotion; to think there the same. Such a dark outlook. I love this! Must say its one of the better poems I've read in quite some time.
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THAT WAS AWESOME!
It was beautiful and i like the imagery.
Bravo!!!
I particularly liked the second half of it.
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I personallly like ur ending and beginning the best...it's the same thing repeated but it brings with it such imagery to me. You dont fully get the beginning til you read the poem and then read those lines at the end again. interestingly done,
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Oh yay, I love poems that have first and last bits the same. This was great (ooh, all shivery from the imagery even!). I liked the fact that some of the word patterns in the middle of the piece were repeated as well, the "fight for thy king", and "the smoking battlefield".
And I always like it when someone says "Anon". Really. What a cool word.
Since he dies though, more of a dirge than a song, maybe?
Well done, I say, well done.. Rewarded 8
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