The first time I faced death
was in darkness, alone.
Toiling under rubble.
My hand pressing
against the stony walls
I hope I am not lost.

The ceiling buries
me under its weight
My hand pressing
against the crushing walls.
Rubble breaks my legs
Dust chokes my throat.
The walls continue to press.
I hope I can hold them long enough
for someone to hear my cries.

The first time I faced death
was when we rallied, together.
Shoulders press against shoulders
our fists in the air.
I hope something will become of this.

They slaughter us.
Their firing squad shot us down like dogs.
It is the first time I killed
I hope I never do it again.

The first time I faced death,
was in the dirty streets of Kaon.
I have no money to my name
only the mark of a fugitive.
I am desperate and Kaon
is the city of Desperation.
They pull me to the side
and whisper
of an opportunity.
‘Can you wield a sword,’
they ask,
‘Could you wield an axe?’
I hope that I will live to regret it.

They take me into darkness
but I am not alone.
They are enemies
ready to strike me down
at a moment’s notice.
I hope that I will live to forgive them.

The first time I faced death,
was in the bloody arena.
Ten times, a hundred times
I stare it in the face.
Death becomes a friend
constant and true
as I take the lives of my enemies
for the screaming
vengeful
masses.
I hope I will leave this place.

There are few
whom I whisper to in the darkness.
They nod fervently
hanging on my every word
till the last drop was uttered.
In the mines, I learned the illicit power
of writing.
Now I learn
the murderous power
of the spoken word.
I hope I can reach them.

The first time I faced death,
was on the battlefield, with you.
Our swords clash as we dance.
Your face (what I saw of it) contorts
in anger and hatred.
I had never seen you like that before.
I think you’d do it
land that killing blow
the whole planet wants to see.
I hope you will.

You never do, predictably.
You dodge and weave
and jump and fight
and say your forlorn speeches
of once was and what could be.
Your desires never your own
only an echo of your puppeteers.
What you once were is gone.
I hope I will see you again.

The first time I faced death
was in darkness, alone.
The war didn’t matter anymore
I had lost.
But our planet, once destroyed,
has begun to start anew.
I hope you can remember what I stood for
in the beginning.

“As we were Crushed
under our heavy Burdens
slaving away like drones.
Shoulder to Shoulder
we Cried
and Cried.
Desperation’s claws at our throats as the
depraved crowd cheers
for us to Kill our fellow peers
to have Food and Shelter.
As we whisper Forbidden words in darkness
Rebellion Revolution Freedom
As we lay siege our mother planet
tearing each other Limb from Limb.
As we screamed for Revenge
when there was NO ONE LEFT TO KILL
Bodies become the only inhabitants.”

Will you remember me
For centuries to come
Will you remember what I stood for?
Will you listen to me again
the way you did
in the dark?

I hope that I can find peace
knowing that you will.