The Guild Fanucci

Years
© 2005 George Reed

When I first esquired to a noble knight
My heart was brimming, sword and future bright
We followed king and kin–to distant places see
And it’s been ten years since he promised victory.

Ten years of crusading to the same bitter walls
Ten years of us hating the way our fellows fall
Ten years of praying that someday we‘ll see
Banners flying high and proud in a victory

Mother begs me not to go and father asks me why
I want to ride away again to go and fight and die
I tell them it is not a path to fame and destiny
But I swore an oath to bring home a victory

I promised it to father and his fathers from afar
I offered it to absent friends who ride among the stars
I said it to my brother ere he fell in distant sands
We can bring a victory home to our land

Ten years of crusading to the same bitter walls
Ten years of us hating the way our fellows fall
Ten years of praying that someday we’ll see
Banners flying high and proud in a victory

No young man standing here, time has not been kind
My sisters look at me and think I must’ve lost my mind
Strap and blade and buckle I still know what they are for
To bring another shield-man to fight another war

I chide myself for thinking this one is not in vain
As I see our enemy has grown a thousand names
Cannon sounds a summons and lines begin to move
A hundred grim esquires with nothing left to lose

Ten years of crusading to the same bitter walls
Ten years of us hating the way our fellows fall
Ten years of praying that someday we‘ll see
Banners flying high and proud in a victory

Ten years of trying to flourish on the plain
Ten years of falling down and getting up again
Ten years of leaving when we should have stayed
Building up a mighty debt of promise to be paid

Our King rides along the line, sunlight on his helm
What an inspiration to awaken sleeping realm
All see queenly eyes hold us in a gaze
Leaving inner strength as anger flows away

Ten years of crusading to the same bitter walls
Ten years of us hating the way our fellows fall
After many years this time I know we‘ll see
Banners flying high and proud in a victory