I once danced with an elf.
She was taller than me by about two feet
and had hair the colour of sunshine.
Her face was fair but pointy as anything and she said
her name was Genrof.
It wasn't a very pretty name
so I looked for another wife.

Something has happened
Something not nice
I went for a walk
and found I had lice.

I scratched at my head
and washed out my hair
and then I discovered
that they were not there.

I went to the shop
and told them the tale.
But they didn't care
their faces were stale.

Through desert lands and stormy seas
we travelled hand in hand
We battled countless enemies
throughout this hidden land

Soldiers came and heroes fell
the swarms keep coming in
Their numbers grow and multiply
Our allies grow ever thin.

There is no way to turn around
and go back to where we came
We must keep moving forward
and not forget our names

We battled days on end at times
No matter how tired we were
They slaughtered us like animals
and left us in the dirt.

Our numbers small and shrinking still
we regroup with less and less
Their army moves and crushes life
and leaves behind such mess.

The end is near we feel it close
We’re left with only four
We look towards the enemy
It looks like they’ve got more.

We bury the dead as quick as we can
But it seems a wasted effort
We band together back to back
as they pour from their fort.

The castle shadow covers us
Our hearts can feel the doom
Throughout the night the battlefield
is lit up by the moon.

Grey clouds build and roll across
The sky towards the west
In fighting while we feel so weak
against them we do our best.

Our numbers then go down to three
A sword went through his heart
He falls down in slow motion
his armour lined with darts.

The archers from the other side line
up all around
Hear the swish of arrows fly
and embed into the ground

At this point another falls an
arrow through his neck
His shield cannot stop everything
while broken from the trek.

Left with two we know we’ve lost
a solemn nod is shared
Back to back we face them now
all their teeth are bared.

We fight together what seems like hours
although it’s only minutes
We fight harder than we have
before to not get torn to bits.

They charge at us and we only just
Deflect their blows of anger
If we **** them then it seems like
their numbers grow to bigger.

There’s no chance of surrender
‘tis a fight to the death
it is a struggle to survive and
hold onto your breath.

Weariness has settled in to
our so tired bones
Here where there is no rest
so far from our homes.

The other cries out very loud
an arrow through his arm
It turns into a battle cry
And they cry out in alarm

They back us up against a wall
so we stand side to side
There is no place to run to
and there’s no place to hide

My throat is sore from yelling out
above all of the noise
The army’s turned us from strong
men into young frightened boys.

With one last glance we seal our
fate and prepare for a charge
We raise our swords and lower our
shields and scream at the army large.

We’ve lost too many men today to just give up
our lives.
We summon all within us and
yell out mighty cries

We dive into the masses and swing
out with our swords
We slash them here and stab them
there as we push into the hordes

The energy was draining with every
fighting step
Blood running down our faces
as death upon us crept

We killed so many men of
theirs while we were only two
But compared to the rest of them
they were but a few

Cries rung out and arrows flew
filling the air with chaos
It was so cold and chilling knowing
death was right upon us

A sword swung out to get me
I ducked it took my helmet
My own sword swung back at him
and there I left him dead.

The army separated us, we fought
to stay together
Then he went down
in a pile of armour chain and leather.

I was alone upon the field
but I could not give up
with the metallic taste left in
my mouth with the blood from my lip.

They came at me from all around
determined to see me dead.
clubs and swords and arrows
were all aiming for my head.

Swords clanged off my shield
and arrows barely missed
The enemy were surprised to see
me still persist.

A club shattered my wrist
and it broke my arm
I lost all feeling and my heart
began to drum

My sword stuck in the
ground as it dropped from my hand.
The pain in all my body was
all that I could stand

I fell onto my knees and then
lowered my face
A man came up towards me
swinging a big mace

He stood there right before me
and I knew this was the end

Through desert plains and stormy seas
we travelled hand in hand.
We battled countless enemies
throughout this hidden land.
 
To claim the throne and throw the man
who claims himself as king.
To banish him and curse and ****
his soul that will not sing.
 
The soldiers come the heroes fall.
The swarms keep coming in.
Their numbers grow and multiply,
our forces shrinking thin.
 
There is no way to turn around,
go back to where we came.
We must continue taking ground
and not forget our names.
 
The battles lasted days at times,
the fighting will not cease.
The men are falling in their lines,
but does that give them peace?

Our numbers small and shrinking still,
regroup with less and less
The army charges flattens hills
and leaves behind such mess.

We dig the holes and place the dead
inside the holes to rest.
Their faces fill us all with dread.
We try to fight our best.

The castle shadow covers us.
Our heart can feel the doom.
Throughout the night the battlefield
is lit up by the moon.

The clouds they build and roll across
the sky towards the west.
Around my neck is hung a cross
for Him I do my best.

The archers from the other side,
they line up all around.
We hear the swish of arrows fly,
embed into the ground.

I look around. Of us alive,
there are so very few.
With numbers down to only five
how then can we push through?

At this point another falls,
an arrow through his neck.
His shield cannot stop arrows all
while broken from the trek.

They charge at us we only just
deflect their blows of hate.
We have to win! We simply must
get up and through the gate.

Our numbers then go down to three
a sword went through his heart,
he falls and ceases then to breathe
his armour lined with darts.

We fight them for what seems like hours
but only seconds pass.
Our blood is covering the flowers
that bloom there in the grass.

Weariness has settled in
to our so tired bones.
Our pride and honour caving in,
we’re so far from our homes.

We lose the third, his legs were tak-
en out from under him.
I saw the hammer swing and break
his legs right on the shins.

Now left with two, we know we’ve lost
a solemn nod is shared.
So back to back, we face the host
and all their teeth are bared.

There is no chance of standing down,
we’re fighting til we die.
We drop so many to the ground
I hear my teammate cry.

I see the arrow bursting forth
out of his bleeding arm.
I turn my head back to the north
and cry out in alarm.

My throat is sore from calling out
above all of the noise.
The army’s turned us from strong men
into young frightened boys.

The wood was looming tall
miserable and old.
I too, was sad and felt drawn in.
The path wound and wound, past
clearings, over fallen trees until it split.

The feeling rose inside then, the feeling
of something bigger than the wood and me.
Round the corner they waited,
round the corner I came.
Three beings cloaked in black
and dark grey. Hoods covered their heads and faces.
shadows slid from left to right.
Dust, decay, smoke, dirt
burned my nostrils, I smothered a cough.

The central one stood straight,
thin and tall
old yet still strong and powerful.
The one on the left concealed large wings,
once white and full now brown and balding,
poking through large tears in the cloak behind his back.
A golden beard glinted in the limited light.
The one on the right was hunched over
clutching onto a staff to keep upright
and an almost white beard flowed to his knees.
Their faces, from what I could make out
through the blurry haze of shadows
marred, scarred
battered, from wars and fights perhaps.

The tall one spoke
with a voice, smooth and light yet muffled
like somebody who had been recently crying
“Try not to look at what we were.
We used to be creatures of importance.
Significance, magnificence.
The elite of the highest races on and off earth, but
now our misery has become our religion
and who we are.”
They pleaded that I join them
in the misery and the acceptance of
misery.
They handed me my own cloak and hood
but before I would put them on
I had to think.

It’s true these things have offered me
a way out of the pain of
pretending to be satisfied.
Here with these creatures, life
could be easier.
Being able to be miserable without the nagging
“is there something wrong?”
“you seem upset.”
these questions mostly asked without
care, emotion,
sympathy, empathy.

I thought for a long time.
They waited, dark and creepy.
Garden ornaments
motionless, emotionless
lifeless. Just staring,
more through than at me.
No names. Nothing
about them could say who they were.
a life without identity. A life without goals.
a life without purpose.
a life without…

Would I end up like them?
Unable to die but continuously getting older?
Scratches on my face and hands,
the shadows covering everything
that brings light to a life.
All these things I pondered while they
waited…
but could I reply with what they longed to hear?

What is this noise right here I hear?
This drowning out of thought and mind,
no noises lie inside I find
it's stealing who I want to be.

Concerns and hurts they challenge me.
They control what  I think.
They take me over to the brink
and there they question me.

But north is where my eyes should look
out past the shadowlands,
and fix my heart on god's own plans
and free from devil's hook.

Communion is the holy love
that jesus gave to his twelve men
and I need to go back again
and for myself see new life dove.

A thumbprint tells you who you are?
Are we basically only that?
Does god see more inside than that
or are we who we always are?

Other's lives have been affected
by what I've done to them.
Can I help them, give to them?
I think we are connected.

The worker comes and rakes the land
with all his workers tools.
He is not from the band of fools
He works, gives life from hand

The thought of life after my death
it plagues my inner soul.
The people that are laid in holes
and them that have no breath.

Stars, showing light
pinpricks through the
blackness of night

Tomorrow when day comes
the darkness vanishes without
trace and sight is found
in light

Moons, ***** of land
bouncing light through night
and day being there

Tomorrow when love comes
the faith builds and builds
to turn back is a joke, no
time here

Sun, the suns birth
light is birthed from somewhere
other than the physical world
spirituality grows.