Beyond

'And we are here as on a darkling plain,
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.'

Matthew Arnold: 'Dover Beach'

.....................................

Bangle bound on wrist and in right hand
the oval stone, I stood undecided.
No devil's dilemma, nor a helmet's horns,
but that venture with vacillating courage called me
to its bull-field. Barmy to bound blind
unto the unknown, yet I could not creep there
under cowardly cover or in safety's shadow
save of night's nous.
The wind whistled wilder:
it had risen relentlessly to rage
as the two talismans tantalized.   

As I  stuck the stone into that avid aperture,
lightening lanced like a spear in my side:
I saw severed roots and trees tumble.
I was deluged on a dark plain by a palisade,
boots imbrued with, clay, cagoule
running with rain. Shake on my shoulder,
and a sergeant stared at my torch-like talisman
glowing clean through the cagoule sleeve.
A laugh lifted
his moustache. Then his mailed-arm motioned:
"You must get yourself girded with great
haste. Hate happens."

Into a ditch he dragged me by the right wrist,
without  further wait  for any enquiry ,
but shored and floored, it plunged under palisade.
Like a rag-doll I was dragged after him, tripping and slipping
until we arrived at the armoury, arrayed with war-gear.
"Listen!" Loudly I shouted, shivering,
amazed, so crazy it was that understanding  prevailed.
"I am no good to you. I am weak and feeble.
I cannot hold a shield or wield a broadsword
for long in the lunge of bitterest battle.
Poet and penman,
scholar, scamp, sell-by-date
expired, expiating the expected.
Where am I? Why am I? What is it?"

Long he looked at me - camp burst into brouhaha,
silenced by slicing arm.  Loomed up unlovely
torch-lit taunt of a fearsome, beaten-face,
masked lord, unlatching,  blue-green eyes brimful
of wisdom above  the waspish  war-beard wagging.
"Drink this then, Penman!"
 Resolve resounded in roared words.
I obeyed and downed the proffered bowl.
I didn't feel much difference but then damn! It was delightful.
I didn't much doubt I would die, but didn't mind.
"We war to win. We war to save us.
Relentless is the enemy.  We know not neither
do we care his country, his creed his criminality.
We kill! We keep our kindred in our care."
So said,
in mail I made over my manliness,
shield shouldered sharply,
sword selected from several.

....................

Approximating the metre of  'Gawain and the Green Knight'  -  with mods.