Before Dawn
In the hours before dawn,
When imagination gives birth to the greatest of ideas,
An image is born to the writer.
Trees.
Hundreds of trees, standing like blackened matches,
Still darkened by the last of night’s shadows.
Mists so thick that every breath is felt
Rise from the forest floor to meet the sun’s first rays.
Visions fall like memories of an ancient time.
The silence of my picturesque scene is broken
By the sound of hoofbeats in the distance.
A thickset white stallion appears,
Bulging eyes poking through a yellow faceplate,
Nostrils spewing clouds of effort
As it toils under the weight of rider and armor.
Following their young master,
Foot soldiers emerge from shadows,
Beating makeshift weapons against shoddy shields,
Reveling in what it means to be masculine,
Rejoicing in the call to battle.
As light exposes natural colors and textures,
So too does it expose the reality of war.
Moments ago, tense excitement echoed through the forest;
Now, screams of agony from grotesque mutilations,
And grunts of desperation from those avoiding
Becoming one of the ones screaming.
What the hell is going on?
What happened to boyhood games of war they played?
One crossed swords—
The better swordsman thrust his blade under the arm of his opponent,
Opponent dies.
Simple, easy, romantic.
That is war, isn’t it?
About the Creator
Cindy🎀
Hey, I’m Cindy – a K-pop newbie turned addict with a keyboard and way too many opinions. When I’m not screaming about talented artists, I’m writing poetry or ranting about my life.
📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 01/08/2026
Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted most alternating Thursdays at 12PM ET to offer creators more avenues to uncover exceptional stories on Vocal. As we are continuously searching for fresh creators and inspiring stories, this thread provides an opportunity to exchange and discuss the stories that have moved and motivated us on Vocal.
By Raise Your Voice by Vocal7 days ago in Resources
Comments (2)
Oooof, this is brutal. Really excellent poetry, feels visceral without being gory. I was working on a novel a while back, based on the life of Francis of Assisi. He participated in a battle, prior to becoming a peacemaker. Anyway, I tried to write his experience of that battle as a confused, desperate, horrifying thing-- but one that started with excitement, enthusiasm, and a deluded sense of glory. Your poem perfectly captures the mood I was trying to convey in my own writing-- including the bewilderment and chaos. I was generally happy with what I had written, back when I had written it. But I have to admit, this poem that you've crafted runs circles around the stuff I had come up with. Having written on a similar theme, I can confidently say you nailed this, and did a way better job of it than I ever did. Seriously, solid poem.
Hoofbeats really stood to me. I've always seen people use "sound of hooves" or somethings along those lines. So this fascinated me so much! Your poem was so poignant and emotional. I loved it so much!