O King! My King!

(This is my tribute to "O Captain! My Captain!" By Walt Whitman)

O King! My King! Our fearful fight is done;

The blood-soaked field is drenched in tears, the setting sun.

The victory cry rings hollow now, amidst the cries of pain,

For though we've won the battle fierce, my soul is left in bane.

O King! My King! Rise up and see the dead,

The children wail, the widows weep, their hopes and dreams all fled.

With every fallen soldier here, a life, a world, a tale,

Now lost beneath the vulture's claw, the jackal's mournful wail.

Here lies my father's armor, his sword now stained with red,

He fought with honor, bravery, until the day he bled.

And now I wear his mantle, his title and his might,

But peace eludes my weary soul, in this eternal night.

O King! My King! I beg you, end this cruel refrain,

For I cannot bear the blood-stained sight, the endless, gnawing pain.

These eyes that saw the victory, now only see the cost,

The shattered lives, the broken hearts, the futures that we've lost.

O King! My King! Grant me this final plea,

Release me from this heavy crown, this burdened misery.

Let me join my fallen kin, where no more tears will flow,

And leave this crimson battlefield, where only sorrows grow.

O King! My King! Our fearful fight is done,

But in this hollow triumph, no solace can be won.

The victory is tainted, the glory turned to dust,

And I, the weary commander, long to leave this place unjust.