As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

2- ☼

Our Pilgrim wakes to clopping on the ground

beneath his seat and for a moment can't

decide if he hath woken from a dream

of chaos and heroics in a town

that actu'lly he didn't stop within

perhaps and that the prior day did not

transpire with the parties and the deaths—

instead a fever dream concocted by

delirium of dehydrated mind

malnourish'd still for he's not found a drink                      10

upon escaping prison prior night.

He takes the reins in hands before he pulls

his right one back upon a burning pain;

he gazes on his palm and finds the skin

is stain'd a rawest red. His mind avasts

at spotting th'evidence before his eye,

and wishful thinking crumbles in complete

upon the shout that pierces through his daze,

erupting from the rocks at side of th'road,

to which he turns his gaze to find the Spouse                20

traversing down a slope with eager gait

and who upon convening with him says:

"What news do you possess, dear traveller?

How fares defence; did you push out th'attack?

And how about the state of my request

of ye to find mine Husband yesternight?"

The memories are rushing back to mind

of horror and of tragedy that's pass'd,

which here our Pilgrim doth relay to her:

"I found your husband lying in the streets                    30

without a tear in either eye to weep,

and with his final breath he ask'd of me

to pass a message t'ward the town and ye;

he lov'd his home and more than that his wife,

regretting nothing of his sacrifice

which he'd enact a thousand times and more

t'ensure the safety of those he ador'd.

And as for the assaulting force, I can't

relay for certain th'information that

they're gone from town, for memory escapes                 40

betwixt my conversation with your man

and other happenings before this point

whereat we now converse about it all."

Of course there's more within our Pilgrim's tale,

but for the Spouse he cuts to what she cares

to hear about, which brings about th'result