The Older Knight Poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

The silent night inspire
The tall firs inspire
The tall oaks inspire
The passages in Hastings Gardens
Roaming inspire

The older knight
They march
Around the town
Come to the night march
It be rare!

In orders and battalions
They
March listless
Throughout a deepening night
Restless

Hear the owl call:
The night air bears
Wisdom to it
And speaks
The wise owl

Hedgehogs, lizards,
Squirrels, ants and
Cockroaches, insects
And wild rabbits
All
From their hiding home
They came
To march this night.


Midnight has struck!
See!
The waters leap
Around the fort
Of shadows and changing
Colors
It be night not dawn!
A hedgehog on a bastion wall
With a loud hailer round and
Round
Strikes out the marching orders
Hammers sound.

An old grey
Figure bent and
Crown of thorns
On head
Grey becoming
Black
In the silhouette
Walks pained
And solitary.

These
Things
Their
Ilk
Make
Old
Breath
Dream
And
Age
Less
Old.

If
you
subtract
these
things
from
life
pray
what
remains?