WNW: Monsters

I killed the monster,

and I am empty.

all I see is war everywhere I look,

spilling over the grassy knoll,

the pebble beach,

drowning in the river with the sunset.

I tried to preserve the kingdom,

but the ruins slipped through my fingers,

now I stare at my hands in the darkness,

the scrapes glaring at me from my white hands,

where I used to hold a sword,

why couldn’t I save you?

I am more than just one person,

I killed a monster,

I could have done more.

That’s why I was a knight,

because I can’t sleep,

only swing my sword

to put the beasts down,

but what do beasts do when they are hunted

by the ghosts of what they could have been?

*

Art: “The Return” by Rebecca Mock.

*

Word Not World series is an interactive anthology where I show a picture, and use the words inspired by the picture to make a poem, such as this one. This poem was inspired by the words, “ruin,” by Sudir (@sekharansudhir) and “perseverance,” by Emily (@eo2inspire4u). If you would like to participate in next week’s Word not World series, keep an eye out on Instagram @enis.st.sparrow and here on St. Sinjin, I will post a picture on Sunday.