Saga of the Shield Wall Battle
Around the bend,
In a wooded glen,
Came a sight out of time
Amaz-ing.
The Hoard did gather
Amid boasts and laughter
With sword and axe at hand.
I watched in awe
As they stood alee
And the call was given
At Ready,
Shields were raised
A wall to save
As shoulder to shoulder
They pressed.
Across the glen,
From a time not then
Stood a formation,
A colorful wave.
Germans bold,
Landsknecht all told,
Stood with pikes at ready.
They seemed to dance,
In those fancy pants,
But the eyes of all were steady.
Then began the fray
To show that day,
How each would have fared
Had it happen
That the sands of time
Flew out of mind
And time had warped a snappin'.
I stood with the crowd,
Voicing my thoughts aloud,
That our warriors brave and true
Had hearts so bold
Of the Berserker mold,
But the Germans had something new.
We stood there armed
In all our Viking charms
Blades on shield did rattle.
Those pikes are long,
And that funny dance
That those Germans do
Had a purpose.
For they lunged
And swelled
Their prickly well
A hedgehog with long sharp points
Or a wall of sticks
With pointy ends
That were longer than
Even Thor's reach.
While an archer stood,
Next to guns of wood,
Or canon small but mighty.
So their soldiers stayed
Out of the way
As their might extended their reach.
If a berserk cut thru
And could get to you
Then his strength was strong
And true
And there was no way
That those Germans could stay
On their feet.
I watched them try
By force of might
The wall to batter those pikes.
In the end defend
It was friend to friend
As this battle wasn't real
But History's reach
Did this story teach
And I hope this gives you the feel.
(c) skylocs 2005
