Crusader
A crusader - a fighter
My journey began from my first breath.
In that moment,
I vaguely recalled a woman;
whose lights had glared,
flickered,
brightened like an angel’s,
then faded like the mist.
Then I saw,
darkness,
melancholy,
agony,
and a man shrouded in the shadows.
A hero - a warrior with a journey
The path I took was said to be perilous.
Covered in thick forests
of hardships,
hungry wolves with fangs
made of mistakes and choices,
and wicked phantasms;
trying to stop me with words of
discouragement.
In a cruel world,
I was told I would be in need of
a guide;
someone who knew how to
tie the laces of shoes,
fight for what’s right.
Someone who had seen the tough terrain.
A mentor - a guardian
My father was a veteran knight,
yet he was a ghostly presence,
sitting at a blank screen.
Long has his armor been in use.
Now, it was rusted
and sullied from neglect.
His sunken eyes gave
emotionless stares.
His wrinkled skin,
sagging on his body like
crinkled fabric.
His story had finished.
His legend was recorded.
His rewards reaped.
forsaken - to be alone
My obstacles weren’t special
Every warrior must face
the villains we meet in our youth,
the challenges and trials of
growth and maturity.
The tribulations met
when we’re set thrust upon,
the world that needs saving.
failure - to live in guilt
My quest had ended abruptly.
I couldn’t reach the forbidden castle,
for I lost the battle.
How could I have won
barefoot and weak?
I had no map,
no steed,
no sword,
and no armor.
haunted - to be followed
I begged my father to teach me to be a hero.
to face slay dragons,
to complete a mission,
to climb the tower,
to give true love’s kiss.
monster - a villain to kill
My father’s corpse-like body
gave me a deathly glare.
He couldn’t help me slay monsters,
rescue damsels.
He said he would never fight again.
For his fair maiden was gone,
and to help me,
was to help the monster
who slayed her in the end.