THE FOOL

Ashe Ward

Monsters walk this road by light,
With heavy steps and thrashing tails,
If I walked among them, I would surely die,
They would target me with my glimmering bells,
So I make my way under cover of night.

I fall often on my travels,
The stars make for a lousy guide,
I cannot see the trees long felled,
Nor the footprints left, though deep and wide,
My hands are bloodied by the sting of gravel.

Some nights, camps appear along the roadside,
Outside, keeping watch, will be a knight or rogue,
They will ask why I fear the monsters so,
And I will gesture to my clothes,
I carry no weapon for combat. I wear colours too bright to hide.

Someday, I may try my luck with the monsters,
Once I have learned their ways and customs,
I may paint my brilliant stripes with mud,
Or remove the bells from my cap,
And exchange my soul for an early grave.