Ode to Death
By Eisen
In The canyon that lays there beside my home,
I lay down and awaited
the coming dawn.
Though meditative I found myself at peace,
Remorseless for the time I spent on this earth.
Twas daybreak
when I heard the trumpets of doom,
And suddenly knew where my gravestone
would lie,
Arising to meet my final, deadliest foe,
Fearless
I stood at the end of the path.
Slowly but surely they marched
toward my home,
Till the sun broke oer' my honor and I.
Unable
to contain my feelings of rage,
I charged towards the numberless
foe.
Surprised by the sheer reckless tenacity,
They
stood for a moment unsure what to think.
Their loss was the gain
of my merciless hand,
Its judgment enacted on all in its way.
Shaking his head and calling all to the fight,
Their captain
strode forth into the midst of the fray.
Undaunted by the challenge
in his eyes,
Thoughtless I accepted our duel to the death.
Pacing forward he drew his long silver blade,
And suffered
I from a momentary fear.
If I were to fall, the path would be theirs,
My home would be burned, and its treasures unveiled.
He
sprung forth to strike, but I parried his blow,
Still thinking of
those I profess to defend.
Then suddenly things became straight in
my mind,
And I gritted my teeth and cried out for blood.
No more did doubt plague my adamant mind,
No more did his head
plague the rest of his form.
I cackled as his body fell to the ground,
And his guard fell back to the start of the path.
I cleaned
my blades as I watched them retreat,
Humming my song to that now
deserted place.
Short was my respite but grateful I was,
The
greatest battle had already been won.
The sun was up in the
middle of the sky,
When next they descended upon that same path.
Horrified, enraged by the sight of their dead,
They fell upon
me with a newfound zeal.
Unconcerned by the return of their
courage,
I slew one then the next with deathly grace.
The ground
now strewn with mounting pools of blood,
Soon gone was their fervor,
their reckless attack.
First one then the rest of their band
did flee,
Hunted, pursued by my judgment of wrath.
I turned
back after slaying many a foe,
Secretly relived for their second
retreat.
I watched the sun set and wondered out loud,
"Will this be the last time we say farewell?"
Then turned I to the
mouth of my canyon,
And awaited my foes next daring return.
Though steadfast, my wait was a painful ordeal,
And I could
do naught to stop my nodding head.
I dreamt of my home, my love and
my life,
Sweet memories for an exhausted mind.
Then
stood forth my own and whispered to me,
"Wake, and fear not. I am
with you alway"
I shook my head and my vision then cleared,
"Goodbye..." I said to that beautiful girl.
In front of me
stood the Lord of the Host,
Surrounded, shielded by the best of his
men.
I narrowed my eyes and struck up a smile,
I never imagined
this glorious end.
I ran forth to meet them, and steel did
meet steel,
Our metal was tested as never before.
My leg was
cut open, and lifeblood flowed out,
Yet I was not slowed by that
terrible wound.
My body, my mind, my life and my soul,
Did come together in hymn of defiance.
I knew my leg would carry
me to the end,
And I pushed forward despite all in my way.
Their blades ran through me, and mine did through them,
Still
quickly I pressed toward my final goal.
The Lord of the Host looked
into my eye,
Then knew he where his gravestone would lie.
We fell side by side, both warriors dead,
It pleased me to
know that the host would stop there.
Though now I am gone, and never
to return,
All may remember the last stand that I took.
All may remember the last stand that I took.