He rode fierce as the fiery gale
That in his wake blew a cruel and biting wail
Through desert and marsh, through forest and plain
The rider needed no rest, felt no pain
But to peer close past the cold hard eyes
Was to see pain to cause even death to cry
His steed was of a flawless white
Having wisdom and swiftness to make true might
His sword was of light to cause eyes to reel
Crafted of ancient silver and fine steel
His cloak enveloped the vast fading day
And shone with night’s dark, the moon’s soft ray
Vicious foes suddenly sought him
In ruins decaying and shadows dim
He knew his role and to devils he charged toward
Reaching for the familiar hilt of his sword
Light, pure as a gem, swung and slashed with ice
As white kicked and thrashed, knowing death’s price.
Crimson stained the dark and foes froze
For a rending cry shredded the night’s cold glow
Turning from pain to anger, steel’s flight sped
Instilling fear as from fear the cry fled
His blade was of long tried deadly biting steel
That, with the wound, now of its own seemed to wield
Death fell as rain to the cold stone
Such was the passing of hours without even song
Each time would the warrior cleanse his soiled blade
Then stride to his mount without a word said
In his wake there remained the icy chill
As his still warm foes lay deathly still
Unending nights questioning why
Why this quest and when would there be time to die?
Hours and days and nights too soon became years
Filled with racing and wounds, laced with tears
Cursed to cruelly kill his foe by right
The dark warrior was forced to kneel to his plight
At last the final day had come
“your cruel test of worth, my child, is now full done.”
The father wept and raised his arms high
With them the glittering crown toward the sky
A multitude cried out to their newborn king
The knights pledged life, bards drew harps to sing
Upon golden stone did darkest stone test
And upon the darkness did gold circlet rest
Years passed by and the darkness weakened
Sparkling metal to dullness gave way
A life must be renewed, a power retaken
Or death of another chill would come to play
Cold stone withered and metal shivered
Old power waned as its sword dulled and grayed
Where was the land, fresh in the morn?
Combat’s heady surge, bringing strength reborn
Life he’d lost to gain the circlet
When in his strong hands he’d held the gauntlet
Up darkness rose, crying aloud
He ran from the stone through a great, fearful crowd
He escaped the pain of death’s cold shroud
Catching up his ancient blade as courtiers howled
Through the great old hall and courtyard he passed
Finding old strength, each step ever more fast
At the gate, the long drawn seconds he counted
In the new black night that stars surrounded
To the grey cliffs he furiously spurred
Not a sound but the thundering courser was heard
The dark mist lay on the ground deep and thick
And time itself stood still through some strange trick
The dark lord flew onward, racing wind
Until the woods’ growth began to thin
Finally, at the cliffs’ edge he stood
And threw off his heavy cloak and hood
From his great and fierce brow he slowly drew
The proud golden crown he so well knew
From ancient caverns had it been hewn
And back to those vast depths it flew
A cry of freedom rose from his tongue
Until through the realm and far lands beyond ‘twas sung
Pointing his great steed to places known last
The ancient familiar course of times past
The dark knight of ages long before
Was at last great dark knight once more
The taste of sweat, the wind and of blood
The smell of smoke were so well known in battle’s flood
Through desert and marshes, through forest and plains,
Forgotten radiance shone, shimmering as rain
Wind coursed his racing wake through
Catching up the cry it too knew
Yet this knight no longer knew sorrow
As he rode swiftly by honored barrow
Never this time, he vowed
To mourn the great mission he once more owed
Never for the gift again bestowed
To ride the realms, to taste the wind
To feel the rain and to live, to live…again
Paper Screams 