The Ronin and Kitsune – Free Verse (NaPoWriMo – April 28, 2014)

In the midnight forest,
walked ronin Sashimi Shiro
Katana at hand he stalked
Looking for new victims to be slain…
The Kami were disturbed
By the goal that he had set …
To chop down piteously,
Anyone he met!
“Kitsune come to us,
For we have a mission for you!
Go into the forest
And trick that callous ronin now!”

Kitsune took the graceful form,
Of a stunning Geisha then,
And called out  for some assistance
From her mighty friend, Fūjin,
To interpret her loyal Yojimbo,
Thus disguised
They set upon thier journey.

There among some palms,
They finally met Sashimi Shiro …
Who jumped out of his hiding
Shouting words of folly and blood
Waving his katana high.
He stopped short of a sudden …
His soliloquy died in his throat!
He just could not go on …
Shouting his monotonous contention,
That death should be the penitence paid,
For walking in the forest.

” Konbanwa, Samurai Sama!”
Kitsune said and bowed,
“Why do you wish to kill me
As I journey through the forest?”

“I am a mighty samurai …
My Daimyo gave unto me this mission,
To slay all who pass by here
Until he sends word to me.”

“And who then is this callous master
Who has transformed you, thus?
You are a monstrous red letter
of death,
A bloody kanji of horror
The kigo of certain death?”

“Alas … my Daimyo rests
Upon the sacred winds
For these were his last orders
As his days of battle ended.
This in truth is my penitence…
I pay for my disloyal service …
I was his Yojimbo,
I failed in my holy assignment …
I would have committed seppuku,
If he’d not given me this order!
And yet, I am so weary
Doing this macabre service
I would die most willingly
But cannot lose my honor now!”

Kitsune put her palms together…
her gasho was low with respect
As she said these words to him:
“Honorable Yojimbo,
Please listen to my words,
If you were to fall in battle,
Bushido would be honorably served…
I offer you then this chance
To free you from your pain…
Fight now in loyalty
With my faithful body-guard.”

The battle, furiously took place
In a clearing of the forest
Kami against ronin …
The contention could only end one way …
Sashimi Shiro was cut in half
A smile upon his face.

Written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Wordle Prompt