Ballads
None and All
by Chloe Schave
Oh, to wake and feel the sun shine
Upon your dark gray face
Rotting flesh and sunken eyes stare
Upon the living grace
Suffocating green does feast upon
Delicious golden rays
While you starve and longing for life
Left awaiting the days
First to feast upon your fresh hide
An old mother racoon
And your flesh she did consume
To continue ancient boons
Next were the flies, as day was nigh
Thousands of crunching maws
Soon came vultures, buzzards, and crows
A cacophony of mad squaws
Night did fall upon the forest
Her seeds planted within
Tendrils and roots grew through sinew
The cycle did begin
Moons came and went with the seasons
And soon you became naught
All but bones lay rest among ferns
New forms your spirit sought
At once, you became none and all
The mother, the devil
But still the sun did your soul seek
To exist and revel
Fallen Kings
by Nick Koss
A cloudless day over green fields
There stood a thousand men
Banners wave in autumn breeze
Dreams of home came again
Warriors clad with sword and shield
Gazed ‘cross field upon a foe unshaken
Fear grips them not as they begin to chant
A death song of forefathers brazen
Their foes quiver not the slight
Standing proud with no remorse
Began to charge beyond spear in hand
True colors will be shown by force
It was then a man donned with golden crown
Readied himself for the battle ahead
He mounted his horse with a storm in his veins
The color of his eyes was blood red
Upon his neck laid the mark of his house
Drawing power ever so much
To vanquish his ominous foe
Down the meadow there he watch
He burst through the ranks to defend his home
Hurrying his men to answer the call
Above the roar of thunderous hooves
He rode to decide the fate of all
Swords clang and shields battered
Not one side giving ground
Blood stained the green field
Giving no regard for hallowed ground
The sun was falling behind oak groves
Yet fighting continued and no victor in sight
No sorrow was felt for enemies slain
The crown cast a golden light
There he stared down the menace
The malicious king whose rivals are great
Charged his horse down the slaughter
Both met and fell to their ultimate fate
Swing after swing the rancor rose
Dirt stung their wounds in midst of wreck
The menace king became bold
And slashed the kings neck
Menace foot on his chest he raised the sword
Then downed king pierced his heart
There they lay side by side
Staring each in eye spent years apart
On the neck of both kings was the same mark
The mark of a most prominent line
Both clasped each others hand
The light in their eyes was doused for the final time
The armies did fight til no green was left
As the stars shone bright the air was still
No pyres burned in honor or virtue
For the armies fought and killed
Their fall will not stop the shed of blood
For men and women did not know
They were ruled from the same line
Death will cast his eternal shadow ever so cold