A Coward's Escape

A Monody (a poem that laments the death of another).

 

A Coward’s Escape

Footsteps behind me

Make my fingers tremble in their sheath.

An answer is what he seeks,

One that I am not free to give,

For it is my heart he begs to own

And my soul he wants to take.

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

Then it was defiance and love,

Instead of duty and honour,

That made me take the hand

Offered to me

 

The words on his lips

Are haunting and familiar.

He wants to know my mind, he says,

And if I have given thought

To whether I would sell him

My most valuable possessions.

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

A poor boy, he was, my brave lad

But gorgeous, kind, and soft

As the kiss of morning sun

In the mountains

 

His impatience grows

When I do not respond to his question.

He demands to know why I resist,

Knowing, as I do, that he may be

My last chance for a life

With the son he did not give

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

I cried when he walked away,

The early-morning stars reflected

In the cold, polished metal

Of our only fighting hope

 

I force open my mouth

To give him the answer I have prepared.

Denial is what I expect to utter,

But I find my lips forming

Words of their own accord,

That I promised I should never say

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

Eight eternal months after the stars and I

Bid my brave lad a desperate farewell,

A knock on the door brings ecstasy,

Only for me to have my heart destroyed.

 

His surprise can be heard

In the words he speaks next.

The rushing in my ears

Allows none of the celebration

Of my beloved family to be heard,

Nor to melt the ice that has crept into my blood.

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

After days of toil and terror and pain,

A newborn babe is mine to hold.

And in his eyes I see the light

That once belonged to my brave lad

 

Before even I fully know

What my true intentions are,

I lift the layers of my heavy anchor,

And run toward the setting sun,

Without second thought of consequence

To hold me to this mortal coil.

 

A scene recalled from long ago.

A breathless meeting in dark of night,

When no star betrayed our secret.

A whispered question close to my ear,

And a promise made to follow him.

Author's Note

I'm not sure how to feel about the character I've created in this "story", so let me know what you think. This is part of an anthology I'm writing for school. Constructive comments are great!

Reviews

[Albert Freeman]

I like this poem. To me it calls to mind someone who has lost a child, but has now had another and this child fills the void and pain of losing that first child. It calls to mind a man who wants the love of a woman who has lost and is still grieving. She wants to open up to the man because she does care for him, but the past is holding her back as an anchor.

Either way it is a beautiful poem and you did a fantastic job with it.