It's no secret that knighthood had but one qualification.
One of your parents was wealthy, and the king needed gold.
They paid him off to recognize you and elevate your station,
Claim that you were a warrior of Christ, skilled and bold.
When the truth is, you're just a flawed mortal man.
What have you done that deserves such recognition?
In the shield-wall where men fight and die, many stand.
What makes you worthy of their fearful submission?
To be a knight is to swear an oath to your lord,
A promise to uphold his claims and defend his lands.
But what if your liege is corrupt, and justice ignored?
Will you still acclaim the bloody work of his hands?
Chivalry is your code, the creed of mounted force,
And it began as nothing more than beasts and men.
A mail-clad savage atop a battle-ready horse,
To trample the common folk, your means to an end.
But we few, we blessed forgotten few shook off the chains,
And rose to glory on the wings of our tarnished past.
Upon a throne of purest gold, a new king of men reigns,
The age of silver knighthood glitters in the void so vast.
When savage necessity dictated that we spill blood,
Our blades were swift and true, our mercy ever ready.
We were the sons of Mighty God, a cleansing flood,
With each beat of our warriors' hearts, strong and steady.
And when our age came crashing down in fire and steel,
The hiss of English arrows was thick in the northern sky.
Our swords failed us, the shattered remnant of a lost ideal,
Our lances riven and our crimson bodies left to die.
The land lies empty now, the stench of gunpowder in the air,
Choking the field of battle where our souls still linger.
The hard truth of watching a man's eyes as you take his life
Is rendered obsolete by the twitch of a forefinger.
Fire once and look away, pretend he didn't have a family
Or hope for a life of his own amid this hellish inferno.
There is no honor left on the field, but even from this malady--
Something may yet take shape, roar to life and grow.
Honor will rise anew to shake off the chains,
And a warrior's pride flare to life in the souls of men.
We few, we blessed forgotten few will reign,
And the age of silver knighthood will glitter...again.
A contest entry
- Chivalry by Frodofan.
600 points, ended December 14, 2007, 12 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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I am sincerely awed by your writing... How did you actually come up with these images, carefully described with breathtaking choice of words? I enjoyed every line in this poem.. It really opened my eyes to what chivalry really means. Beautiful..
Good luck with the contest! (: -
M’lord, a lady instinctively knows where gallantry is present. Your first two stanzas are interesting because many men were (and still are in UK politics) given a place of rank and honour as a birthright rather than by earning the honour so I like the questioning you have introduced at the beginning of this poem. Although this poem isn’t in the normal vein for you it does carry your hallmark in the passion for immersing yourself and other readers completely in the scene you have depicted. What I really like about this piece is that it applies not only to the knights of old but could also apply to modern soldiers and I think this can be clearly seen in the last two stanzas. I’m happy to have called by your page today and read this. Good luck in the contest.
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The age of Knighthood and Chivalry may return. Sentiments spoken and forgotten in time. Buried in the ashees of past wars. Knights were honorable only when they were not corrupt. Interesting poem you have told here my friend. Glad to see you once weld a pen and not a sword! Words cut deeper in the heart than that of the blade. ~Sie
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And when our age came crashing down in fire and steel,
The hiss of English arrows was thick in the northern sky.
Our horses stumbled, our armor failed us and swords shattered,
Our lances riven and our bodies torn to ragged pieces.
^Why does this one stanza have no rhyme?
This was a very interesting piece. Unlike the others and, I'm sure, unlike any other entries the contest might get. You took a differnet look at the prompt, which is interesting.
Thanks for entering.
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Well now. I wandered right out of my rhyme scheme there, didn't I? I'll fix that part.
Got into the poem and forgot to pay attention.
Edit: Corrected. Thanks for the comment.
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