Till the End

I sat by you on this cold night,
This night of pain and grief,
No stars are in sight
To give hope to this plight,
And I knew this moment would be brief.

I had looked around the battlefield,
And sighed at all the blood that was spilled.
Warriors lay still all around me,
That they were all dead was plain to see.

I had looked around for my companion and friend,
We had promised to be by each other
So that each other we could defend,
But we must have split up when the war became grim,
For now I could not find him.

But then I heard a whisper of my name,
And I looked at the person from whence it came,
And I was solaced when I saw it was you,
But when I saw what you had been through,
Dismayed and forlorn I became,
For I knew death had one more to claim.

Sat I sat by you and clutched your hand,
And you gave me a smile so weak
That in my grief I could not speak.
Tears brimmed in my eyes.
Why hadn't I been there to help you?
Why didn't I protect you?
It was my promise, my pledge,
I should have saved you from the blade's edge.
But I couldn't, I failed,
My own promise I could not keep,
So now this rigorous consequence,
We both must now reap.

But you cannot go,
You cannot leave me here,
Death you must defy,
To life you must adhere.
I cannot just let you go,
So a last promise to you I bestow,
That I will be with you to the very end,
With death, for your life I will contend.

So I held your hand ever so tightly,
Trying to grasp the life within,
Do not let go, not even slightly,
For I need you, my friend and my kin,
I looked into your eyes that held no hope
Save the fragile light therein,
Do not let go, do not make me grope
For your delicate life within.

I held your hand, the hand of my friend,
The one close to my heart,
And I will be with you till the very end,
But do not let go now, do not depart,
Do not let this be your death
Take not your last breath.
It was never meant to end like this,
You cannot succumb to death's bitter kiss.

But I feel your grip weaken
I see you grow pale
And I saw that our clasp was to no avail.
The light in your eyes began to wane
And I helplessly watched until none remained.
Until I was alone.
By myself.
So I let go of your hand, the hand of my friend,
The one that I lost at the very end.