Errant Knight

For a time, I was contemplating giving up on being the fairly nice guy I usually am. This resulted and I ended up not changing.

The sword, no longer oiled, will surely rust

The shield, unpolished and unused, will collect dust in passing years

The armor, unworn and broke, will house both vermin and pest

This paladin, weary and worn, is no more

Countless battles, burden of function and form, now too much to bear

Repeated rescues, damsels of every variety, thanked yet walked away

Endless crusades, pain and dismay, empty hand the only prize

Omnipresent hatchet, tool of tortured souls, long buried deep and true

No broken bones, strung blows fail to break, to suffer agonizing defeat

Cuts have healed, passing of time their demise, eternal memory of the past served

Retirement is banality, glorious in vision, promising chance for personal peace

Unseen wounds, fresh sting so crystal clear, weigh down with out thought or reason

Forked trails, paths that lead nowhere, traveled with diligence just to see the end

Many have fallen, slain by these very hands, under a guise of good intentions

Blood stains remain, washing void of progress, never truly cleaned pure

Breathing made difficult, ash of kings long dead, pyres stain the skies clear

Trusty steed, long put to pasture, saddled with regret and pain

Ghostly memories, held yet untouched, making a tearful soul fall freely

A chair to sit in, letting it all come to pass, new beginnings to an end

Companionship lost, shadows of company past, distant now as the stars above

Tormented past, faces of friend and villain alike, blur the lines of all judgements

Head heavy, laden of guilty sorrow, heralds will sing not of my praise

Wanting more, deserving of far less, timeline littered with trash and treasures

Stepping down, my time here is done, leaving it all to the youth and untraveled