034. Broken Swords And Shattered Spears Poem by Jaden Knight

Broken swords and shattered spears
litter the courtyards inside the castle
the once pretty gardens ruined
all the flowers crushed by war
here and there lie the corpses of peasants
interspersed between the dead knights
crossbowmen and archers

The thatched roofs in the bailey are burning
the well is tainted with blood
the moat is full of spear men
pierced by many arrows

The foul smell of death and smoke fills the air
as the survivors go about claming their dead
to stop the enemy mutilating the corpses
no words are spoken between friend and foe
they don’t need to show their feelings
their grief is all too clear

The silence is only broken
by the screams of the wounded
being treated by the surgeons
the chance of survival is limited
but they feel they have to try

Outside the walls the dead are stacked
on a huge funeral pyre
like branches cut from a tree
before being burnt

The castle walls still stand firm
over all the destruction
the damage caused by the trebuchets
highlight the strength of the fortress
and as the sun sets behind the towers
the surviving peasants begin their work
to rebuild the town outside