Bob Catley: City Walls

The lights go down to the deafening sound
Thunder clouds rolling in through the night
My heartbeat pounds as the heavens resound
In the wide invincible sky

The lightning strikes from celestial heights
Goes to ground and testifies
It's broken chains like symmetrical veins
Crack the black terrestrial night

The fortress walls face the numberless hordes
Will they stand the test of time?
The hourglass stands almost empty of sand
Live or die on destiny's shrine

The cruel wind cries it incessantly whines
In the face of the battle to come
In strength and size, this colossal divide
Is a vast immeasurable one

The horns that sound strike fear in the proud
But we're snared and there's nowhere to run
We'll live or die with heads held high
Till the mighty victory's won

The skyline cloaked by the blackening smoke
That defies the naked eye
We stand our ground, inextricably bound
By the ties of friendship and pride

We flight the bow and wait for the archer's drum
We strike the blow that's straight to the heart
Our shields to the hun
We fight as we try to keep our dreams alive
That history might recall
Those who braved the kingdom's rise and fall
Fought from the city walls

Retreat or stand is the law of this land
In the cold hearted thick of the fight
And death's reign damned my superlative plans
Making pyres of dreams and old times

For isengard cast flames through the heart
Like the fireball crossing the sky
The helms-deep walls lie breached in the dark
As we stand defenceless inside

The brave and pure for a moment stand sure
Then to sanctuary we fly
The hordes can't reach, our impregnable keep
Till the light of dawn when we ride

We flight the bow and wait for the archer's drum
We strike the blow that's straight to the heart
Our shields to the hun
We fight as we try to keep our dreams alive
That history might recall
Those who braved the kingdom's rise and fall
Fought from the city walls