Parting of the Blades

By: Daniel Livshits

Concede defeat at the hands of the splendid.

Can you not see that this duel has ended?

As we dart along this open field,

within our grip, our swords and shields.

For this last time, I don my glorious gory guise

completed by the fragments of my lies

that told you I would not be leaving here.

Was it from denial or from fear?

We never thought it would end like this

Leaving my friends, whom I'll sorely miss.

To think our great goodbye, a fate so cruel,

would end in one last friendly duel.

Our rubber swords clash, their damage mended

Both of us still wish that fight had never ended

as we sit alone, our rooms with closed doors

all because time would yield no more.