The sweat on his brow was calmed by the breeze
before settling down near the scar on his cheek.
But it's not the startling heat that's taken his breath
nor his armour,
the fear is what's making him sweat.
The gaze of the red sun, dawning far ahead,
raged as intensely as his anger toward his Father's death.
The mourned departure left a gaping hole in his sibling
that no sword had hardly ever come close to inflicting.
Most of the village knew the wise and noble man
but spoke of who killed him from behind their shoja stands.
The High Shinobi Clan were imperial swordsmen
who deprived the lower classes of their menial fortunes.
They were seen as enforcers protecting Dynasty One
even though the fees they extorted seemed to rise with the sun.
They pried on the vulnerable, the oppressed, and the foolish
with violence erupting should anyone question their ruling.
Everyone knew this, including his father no less,
and yet he refuted having to part with his yen!
The clan regard disrespect as the highest act of affront
so the martyr was met with the knife-edge his life was balanced upon.
The smiters savage response to the peasants dissent
was to strike the man only once, and sever his head.
The method of execution was precise as the men had wanted
and a rufescence of red ran as high as the cherry blossoms.
The eyes of the many watching turned away in despair
as he died for the very doctrine that they were too scared.
The dictatorship shared a maniacal laugh at the top of their lungs
which remained in the air until the return of our prodigal son.
The loss of his loved one weighed heavy as the kasa on his head
it wasn't enough wanting them dead,
he had to have his revenge.
Samurai meant "Those who served," in its correct term so
it was time he handed the men a dish best served cold!
The sunset burned overhead as he veered the arid plains
until our expert ronin finally neared their palisades.
The fear that captivated him crossing swords with the henchmen
appeared to have abated having turned his thoughts to redemption.
He saw them beheading his father without any remorse
so nothing short of their death is enough to settle the score.
His weapon was drawn from the sheath that housed its intent
as he head into war both outnumbered, and out for revenge!
There were thousands of them against just him on his own
but he wasn't about to surrender, Samurai of principle don't.
The sadistic Shinobi clan were a disgrace to 'The Way'
while he lived by the code of honor he would take to the grave.
In the face of his greatest adversity, he fought to the end,
even as wave after wave of wakizashi brought him to death.
The stories of legend remember him in the bushido adage to scholars:
"It's more than just strength that makes a man. A man must have honour."