A Knight and a Lady

My Burden

Resting in my arms, his left hand grasping onto my biceps, he hoped to receive the thought and warmth from another human. I’ll give you the thought, I’ll share my warmth. We’ll make it out together. I look into his eyes, his eyes, tranquil despite the rain, interlocked with mine. Muddied with the dirt underneath us he raised his right arm, reaching out to the sky as if god outstretched his hand to his aid.
“Tell my mother,” He said weakly, “I’ve fought my hardest like you always told me to. I’m sorry I let you down”.
“No, no, no..” I replied, “You can’t give up! Not here!”. The thunder seemed almost deafening. His hand passively lost its grip. I held onto it. “I won’t let you give up.” It felt as if I was staring into his soul, tainted with grief. His eyes began to tear, and before he lost all his strength, he said “Thank you for being here for me.”.

As I watched the life recede from his somber eyes I started to realize, I killed a man. It was because I was too foolish and rushed a decision, I sacrificed him and now I must pay the price. I stand up and carry the man on my back. The mud underneath my boots grasped onto my foot each step, wanting me to feel the weight of my crime. The sky shed tears for his loss and the thunder an ensemble for him at the gates of heaven. This is my burden; a burden I've created for myself. I keep trekking along, my feet beginning to drag. The mud lets up as it begins to transition into grass. The grass is wet with the tears from my ancestors, their cries bouncing off of the surface and onto my legs and boots. The mud from the dirt is being transferred to such a beautiful pasture and I can only think to apologize. The pasture stretches up and over a large hill, I have to keep moving so I can return to the village and give this man a proper burial.

Each step during the incline increases the weight of my misdeed. I have to keep moving. My foothold is constantly wavering, I push on. The rain and headwind make it hard to see however I keep moving. I reach the top of the hill and as if the gods had decided to give me a break, the rain lets up and the wind calms.
A valley; full of Yarrow reveals its beauty to me. My eyes widened as a thought clicked inside my head, I must bury him here. This valley was a valley of healing, he deserves such a beautiful burial ground. I rest the man at the base of the hill and begin digging in a part with fewer flowers. My hands bruise and begin to bleed but I have to keep moving. If I stop, I might never pick it up again. I look over my shoulder to look at the man, checking as if he would magically come back to life. The bandage I wrapped around his wound, stained red, began to fall. However, as I scanned upward, I noticed something I hadn’t before. The man’s face was lit with a small smile.
I will never lose someone I care about again. No matter what.

Sue & Candace

Her Burden

My head is spinning yet I am unaware of the cause. Whenever I stay still, I feel at peace so I decided to rest in my bed for today. Enveloped in the sheets I felt cold, I was desperate for warmth. The cicada sounds from outside is a siren drawing my ship nearer to oblivion; however I fall for its temptations. I must go outside today; today is the day of the knights’ return!
My mission to go and see our heroes return is quickly met with an obstacle; the journey. I hoist myself out of bed, struggling to stay upright. My feet met with the wooden floorboards, creaking as I put more weight on it. This was my first time sitting up in a while, I haven’t eaten, nor have I washed my clothes in days. How could I let myself become this mess?

What was it that I needed to do again? There was something that stopped me from becoming this mess, what was it again? My memory is hazy. I ramble out of my room, hoping to stumble across something to jolt my memory. With my hand against the wall, I drag myself through the hall. I’ve made it to the living room. This room was an antique, lost with the passing of time. A small dresser rested in the corner of the room, abandoned, just like the rest of the room. Memories flashed into my mind, my medication. I run over to the drawer and pull on the handle frantically. I need my medication so I can be all better! Afterwards, I can see the.. The… The knights! As I prepared myself for the first time in days I realized how lonely being in this house all by myself could be. I want a partner to stay with me, to help me remember everything! Maybe I can bring a knight home.

I walk over to the kitchen, my finger tracing the borders where the wall meets the floor from a distance. I grab a dusty old woven basket and place an apple inside, followed by a banana. Moving on, I get to take a bath and brush up my hair then I am on my way. I cannot help but feel a spark of joy illuminating my once empty husk. The light reaches my feet, allowing me to skip down the dirt road; unsure of where it would lead, maybe it was the town? I follow the path, while my long flowing brunette hair seems to want to follow the breeze. I’m a bit tired and my head begins to get dizzy again. Why must this happen when everything was going so well? What did I do to receive this burden of dizziness?
I continue walking, slightly discombobulated from my weakness. However, this is my first time outside of the house in days. I want to make the most of it and see the knights return!
I reached the town, dazed at how spectacular it looked; it was bustling with life!

Vendors parked parallel and adjacent to one another, taverns filled with customers laughing and having a nice time. Then there was a crowd in the far distance near the end of the main street. They seemed to be awaiting the arrival of the knights as well! However, I don’t think I'll make it there. My feet began to drag and the apple inside my basket seemed to gain weight. I found a bench on the side of the road and decided that would be a good spot to take a break. The thought of a break was a dream come true after that heinous journey, but yet I felt weak and just as tired as before. I wish just somebody; anybody, would come and help. Then there he was.

Fly High

Oh, fly who’s so high in the sky,
I dare say that I envy you,
What do you see?

Is it the swaying green grass?
Accentuated by the clusters of flowers
Was it the singing of the birds
From the bench where we made eye contact from afar?
Or was it me?

While watching your gracefulness from so far away
I desired to be like you,
Your smile radiated success and security.

My fading memory
My wavering condition
I have no hope for the future
We’re almost nothing alike you and I.

What is it that you see in me?
Your perspective is foreign to me
You admire me
But what is it that I offer
I adore you
But I can’t see what you see
So high in the sky