THE COWARDLY KNIGHT WHO BECAME A HERO

THE COWARDLY KNIGHT WHO BECAME A HERO

He was supposed to protect a village but he was too afraid
Locked away in his house was where he would spend his days
Afraid of his own shadow but he was still called a Knight
Even though he was afraid of everything in life
He took the job so he could provide for his son
He's been kicked out of every kingdom under the sun
This is his last resort, after this there's nowhere to go
He has to be brave, even if it's just for show
Some people laugh and call him a coward
But he didn't know that soon he would have his finest hour
A creature of ultimate evil came one day to destroy the land
It destroyed everything it touched and death would expand
As it moved, crops and grass would wither and rot
The village would become a wasteland if it wasn't stopped
"Father will you stand up and fight this evil beast?"
"Yes my son, I'll try my very best at least."
With a shaky hand He grabbed a his royal shield
And with his other trembling hand his sword he would wield
He sees the monster moving as he walks out the door
"I must remember for my son I'm doing this for!"
"I must bring honor back to the family name!"
"I can't let him walk around, always feeling ashamed!"
With wobbly legs the monster he goes out to confront
He tries to attack it with an awkward slash and a loud grunt
The monster moves and he misses his target
He falls on the ground, from his sword he's the farthest
It falls away from him as the beast moves in for the kill
The Knight closes his eyes and moves by sheer will
He runs for his sword, knowing he has little time left
He can smell the stench of the creature's breath
It feels hot and heavy and smells like rotting meat
Soon he will feel the sharpness of its teeth
Just as the creature was ready to close in on him
The Knight's son comes running out of the house
"Get away from my dad you beast or I will take you out!"
The beast turns its head to see him standing there
With rage in its eyes, it lets loose a piercing howl in the air
It starts running for the Knight's son at full speed
That was all the motivation that the Cowardly Knight would need
He got up and charged the beast and pierced its heart
It screamed in pain and began to fall apart
The beast dissolved until it was totally gone Then the healing of the village started to go on
In an instant, the dead crops began to grow back
They turned back into lush greens when they were once black
The Knight rose up to protect the child he loved
His only child, he ran towards him and gave him a hug
"Father, you did it!  You saved us all!"
"You're a hero, you slayed the beast and I watched it fall!"
From that day on, the villagers no longer laughed
They gave the Cowardly Knight a salute when he walked past
He went from a coward to a legend in just one day
And he continued to protect the village and there he would stay
The family name, no longer tarnished became fully restored
He would no longer be called the Cowardly Knight anymore.
©2013 Darryl Mouzone