The Lone Knight

[Madeline Warden]

Armor shining in the moonlight,
Soldiers, men, women, and persons fight with all their might.
The once angelic green fields,
Now charred black and crimson.

We hold up our shields,
Swords held at the ready,
With hands that steady.
With a single swipe,
The first body hits the floor.
I stand in shock at what I have done,
But this is war,
And it had just begun.

I pushed down my humanity,
So close to insanity.
The horn was blown,
Signaling the end of the battle.
I stood on the battlefield alone,
No other knights made it through.

I was praised as a hero,
But I felt like a villain.
I was given riches,
But I can never unsee the trenches.

I now revisit the battlefield,
The ground all but healed.
The enemy flag, torn and scorched, lay on the ground,
I still hear the yells and cries as I struck down the last one.
Now I kneel,
I plant a singular rose,
Its petals are dark and crimson, like a drop of blood.
I leave marron footsteps as I walk away.
But here my soul will forever stay.
Because I died here along with my fellow soldiers,
Friend and foe.