Mortal Sins

This carcase This corpse This empty shell Shorn of its spirit Its ready smile Those twinkling eyes Soft voice And steely mind. Tears stung his eyes Misting the grim scene Where was the young lad Entrusted to his care Destined now For the ferryman A ready listener Careful observer Easy learner What he had been taught Now all undone By his pride His resentment of his king His refusal to fight Having had to yield his prize That is where it all began And brought this bitter end Cold shame Cold anger Cold steel A murderous chill A vow of vengeance No pity Only savage remorse The body laid upon its pyre The torch applied Lit the flames of revenge The flames licked the sky Their smoke the incense Heightening his prayers Crying to heaven for catharsis His men drew back Serried ranks formed Armed for the fight Ready to follow Witnesses of their hero Primed for war Dedicated to glory In a duel to the death Against the champion Of the city under siege And killer of their leader's ward Thrice round the walls Watched helplessly from above Dragged in the dust The victim mutilated and disgraced. To Priam's pleas He softened The broken body To his father returned When pity Smote his heart. Our hero's end An arrow in his heel Fired from afar By the prince Who sparked The whole tragedy