Wandering Knight to Conquering King

a poem

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

A wandering knight

came across

a maiden on her way.

She was light

gold and bright,

a beacon to his empty soul.

He showered her with praise

a thousand promises

of the lands, he would conquer for her.

She changed her course to ride with him

to a loving home in her mind.

At first, her warmth filled him

and he kissed her every day.

But then he left to build the life

he craved and she deserved.

The maiden begged him not to go

but he said he’d be quick

and burned a path through the world

to steal it all for her.

They wrote every day,

a kiss at the end of each letter.

But as his wealth grew

he got distracted

and didn’t notice when they stopped coming.

Finally, he returned home

a crown upon his head

to a decrepit house

with a new gravestone

and all his letters left unread.

Photo by Vlad Glonț on Unsplash