Poetry: The Love of a Woman

You were supposed to be the brave knight
Save the princess from her tall tower guarded
You fought through the thick foliage
Reached her daunting castle

Wiping sweat from your brow
All that effort you put in
Considering the task completed
Raced to her door to knock

"Victory!" Passed from your lips
"I've come here and triumphed!"
With disbelief and gratitude
She accepted your entrance

But the dragon lay in slumber
His rumblings continued to shake that tower
Out of fear and duty
She couldn't leave with the knight

He groaned, he yelled
He cursed her feminine stupidity
The worst is over he thought
So why the hell won't she leave?

It's so simple, she pleaded
I thought you understood
Why did you come to my rescue
If you weren't going to follow the rules?

Blast your rules
Blast your honor, too
I've already done so much
I don't know why it's not enough

We're here in this tower
I've come all this way for you
Traveled far, journeyed hard
Let our ending be simple

His words of longing hit her
But she persisted in her petition
To be the knight for her
He had to slay that dragon

She pushed him out the door
Or maybe she ran to another room
Either way he was left alone
Questioning why he was abandoned

She said she loved me
But she argues that I haven't done enough
I've done so much for her
Does she expect the moon as well?

Lining up gifts of money
With displays of love
Forgetting what deeds are required
And those for fancy reward

He pondered
Not understanding
The effort to reach a woman's heart is hard
But once inside the barrier, easy

Her defenses resemble an egg
And his a solid rock in consistency
So he stood there
Wondering

She wished he would go and fight
Perhaps die trying
This was her hope
She waited, imploring

The knight either chased her down
Convinced her with his silver tongue
And guiding hands
To listen

To live a life in shame
Forever fearing
With a man who wouldn't understand
(He never dared to listen)

Or he gave up preemptively
Deeming the task and her
Not worth the effort
Failing to see the roadmap

Leaving her to wonder
Are my values too strict?
Did I not compromise effectively?
Will I forever be locked up in this tower?

She didn't want to live there long
The tower was supposed to be a land mark
Not a destination
On this terrible life journey

But more likely than not
Many a knight would come by
Each demanding and indignant at refusal
She would eventually break

But they would never get what they came for
The prize only a princess can offer
Because they were supposed to be the brave knight
Save the princess from her tall tower guarded

Instead they stole her away in the night
A thief robbing away chastity
Taking a physical prize
Never receiving the unerring gift

The love of a woman