Modern Day Knights

Knights of Modern-Day Yore
Hiding behind your shields of plastic,
What are you protecting—fear, or power?
Armed against the unarmed,
Marching in formation, ready for war.

Knights of modern-day yore,
Outnumbered, yet unyielding,
Batons gripped tight, poised to strike.
Kevlar and riot shields replace
The chain and plate of legends past.

Your visors mask your eyes,
Hiding the doubts that might remain.
Do you hear the cries for justice?
Or has the clang of orders drowned them out?

Trained for war, yet sent to “protect,”
A populace you no longer see as your own.
Every step you take on city streets
Echoes like thunder in frightened hearts.

The banners of peace are raised before you,
Met with a rain of tear gas and fire.
Each swing of the baton cuts deeper,
Not into flesh, but trust and kinship.

Where is the honor in this battle?
What code do you follow in the fray?
Knights once defended the helpless—
Have you forgotten what it means to serve?

The weight of armor once bore virtue,
A shield for the weak, a sword for the just.
But now your armor is a cage,
Trapping you in fear and mistrust.

Knights of modern-day yore,
The battle is within you, not around.
Lay down the tools of war,
And find the courage to truly protect.