THE BLADE OF SILENCE

WHERE DEATH MET VALOUR

The acid night was like any other, a twisted tale of déjà vu

Blurring angst of the pouring rain, in darkness that bore through

A concoction of questions and riddles that fueled my crystalline doubt

Each step a little slow, every breath laboured as I moved about

The melancholy of the angry rain seeped through in subtle fury

My fate lay in oblivion with the dreary landscape and its morbid story

Every sound roared as thunder, every quiver let a serpent of fear flow
Thoughts of bitter loneliness in a vague nightmare crept through slow

In the din of impending danger my thoughts froze, profound and fearful

The training of ages past slipped my grasp in eluding shadows sad and woeful

“Enemy ahead” – the words from the first scout caught my senses in a frenzy

Death, doubt, fears clouded my being as every muscle twitched in misery

“Where was I-the enemy or the comrade?” - left me in a dark lonely hole
Click! Weapon readied, eager eyes scanned as every curve bore my soul
The darkness within and without engulfed the scene in an eerie silence
Was I blind, afraid or cautious, I could not perceive in absolute violence

The rain still poured its woes on mother earth’s belly

The fear still jiggled my senses like evil jelly

The darkness still merged every shadow in a macabre spell

Weaving a tapestry of dilemma and blindness in a silent well

Utter nakedness stripped me of my deepest fears

Helpless, immobile - the soul let out a crippled tear

Momentary lapse of tactics in a starless sky

Temporary grasp of fearful agony in a two faced die

I couldn't run – the image of a leader haunted me

I couldn't act thoughts of losing a comrade let things be

Surprise my only armour was withered and dying

As streaks of mauve sent a blush into the purple sky

The dawn would soon make a sojourn of joy

Yet steal the purpose and density of a plan so coy

In utter arrogance I moved towards the enemy within

Crawled, crouched and slithered to commit sin

Blood shot eyes over hung laboured breath

As muscle made way through cover in stealth

In a matter of time I moved in towards the house

As fear and impending danger in my soul arose

Kaboom! Followed by a blitzkrieg of flying lead came my way

With cruel intentions to make that my last ugly day

Yet providence in all sincerity saw me to safety’s home

And pulled me out of the guerrilla's impressive kill zone

In sheer panic I squeezed my fearful grasp

Just to let out bullets like a hungry wasp

In chaos they found their destined mark

And left me standing unscathed, tall and dark

In a moment of sheer blunder and terror

I saw my foe fall to death for one untimely error

As fate would play its cards, I stood there a hero

Only I knew how close I was to ground zero

First blood – first tryst with death on an oft walked track

Death meets valour, as they call me the hero of the pack