The Riders

By Cliff Lake

 

The Riders

 

Messengers of warning,

Messengers of hope.

I saw them come riding.

I saw them ride away.

 

Out of the darkness,

Out of corners of fear,

An implacable oppressor,

Wielding knife and sword and spear.

Servitors of an ancient crone,

Dealing death, ruin, and wreck.

Madness in their every move,

They must be held in check.

 

Messengers of warning,

Messengers of decree.

I saw them come riding.

I saw them ride away.

 

The darkest storm now gathers,

A force too vast to number.

A peaceful realm is threatened,

We waken from our slumber.

The call goes out across the land,

“Defend yourselves or flee!”

The most of us will make our stand,

We will not take the knee.

 

Messengers of warning,

Messengers to muster.

I must now be riding,

I will not ride away.

 

Now our people gather,

The enemy draws near,

Our numbers have become vast,

We are facing down our fear.

The defilers try their advance,

But my countrymen make hold!

We give ourselves a fighting chance,

Fortune favors the bold.

 

Our messengers gave warning,

Our messengers gave call.

We will all be riding,

We ride into the fray.

 

They press the fight,

They come howling in their swarm.

We stand! We stand into the night,

Beating back the storm.

In the morn as the dawn breaks,

The foe has turned his back.

We fight because we know the stakes,

We vanquish the attack.


Messengers of warning,

Messengers of hope.

I saw them come riding.

I ride with them today.

 

Cliff Lake 11/21/2023

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

Location: Dalton, MA, USA

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