Pen and Sword

They say the pen is mightier than swords

Words of a playwright, no doubt

I wonder if a swordsman would agree

Yet, if he begged to differ, how could he let us know?

For, every sword will lie forgotten if the pen wishes it so

But no pen could ever write if no sharpened blade stands guard

And while one can touch the heart

The other makes its blood run dark

Every war starts with words and ends with swords

And after corpses pile and empires fall

Who is then to blame for it all?

The greed of the pen or the thirst of the blade?

Peace treaties are signed by both pen and sword

The first, handed to the defeated

And after being stripped of pride and coat

The latter is held to his throat

And all the pen can save is the names of those banished to the graves

Perhaps it’s not about the sword and pen

But the hands that wield them

In the grasp of evil men, evil things will happen

And when good men stand idle, all good things will end

'Pen and Sword' - or maybe pencil and knife