Days of Honor

 

“batlh Daqawlu’taH” (“You will be remembered with honor.”) –Klingon

 

Ready?

Bow to your opponent.

Fight!

 

Four foot blades,

Ten pounds each,

Two points at each end.

They lock together.

 

Thwack, thwack, thwack

They’re covered in foam

More thwacks

We fight for dominance

 

Hit!

Thwack

Hit!

Thwack

Hit! Kill!

 

I step back,

Catch my breath

For just a moment.

 

New blades

Two pounds each,

A food long,

Or a little less,

One in each hand,

Also padded.

 

Ready? Bow. Fight!

 

Thwack, thwack

Hit. Hit.

Thwack. Crack!

One more hit.

Kill!

One dak’tag enters the pile

With a bat’leth

Earlier broken in half.

 

Another weapon trade

A mek’leth

A short sword

More thwacks

More hits and kills

 

We move on to bokens

And staves

More thwacks

Hits and kills

 

It feels good

Earning the kill stripes

Though we are bruised

Perhaps a little bloody

Perhaps a cracked rib

 

The SCA

Would never allow

This combat form

But we are Klingon

If only a few hours

We are warriors