The dawning of the end

The dawning of the end

Naked sword dawns red
as heated blood spatters my cheek;
cool rain that dances on my lips,
like so many hurried kisses.

Victory; harsh and bittersweet.
Fear, like sweat, lays heavy.
The stench; not unfamiliar.

Broken body stained with the sun's last rays.
Forgotton, half buried in the leaf litter.
A lover, brother, husband or treasured son,
but who will mourn his passing in a foreign land?

Unwilling witness to the abuse though I was,
is it wrong to sacrifice one
for the lives of many?

Did I forget who he was.
who I was?
Divided in my loyalties, where does one go,
when the only person you can trust,
is gone?

Oversight sealed his fate,
the risks taken, no longer hidden,
obvious and ripe for action.
It was to be ours;
happiness and freedom.
Not this...
never this.

I will carry the blame