I was inspired by one of my favourite films, A Knight’s Tale (starring Paul Bettany and Heath Ledger) for this poem. Some people in my writing group loved this, and some people didn’t!
Joust
I vaguely hear
the impatient calls of the crowd
and the advice of my squire,
but heavier sounds press inside my helmet:
the mutters of my horse;
the scrapes of his hooves as he tears chunks of grass.
“Keep your eyes on the target.”
The slits of our visors glare across the field.
I spit the dust from my tongue.
My guts wince at the blare of trumpets.
The horse’s ears flatten, ready
to charge.
The rumble of hoof beats
seem to push against time,
ignoring the frightening speed of my opponent.
I hear maidens shouting from the stands
and I’m aware
of horse’s sweat and roasting swine,
of glinting sunlight on advancing metal,
and the death-weight of the lance in my arm.
Suddenly,
I can see his eyes
and we slam against each other.