Hakata Bay was fortified
An ocean wall was built
And sentries kept watch
A serene dream for some
To imagine, innocently
That they'd done enough
But nightmares do return
Black ships with archers
Bringing horses to ride
To enter the bay with a purpose
Their numbers beyond count
As they began to make war
By invasion, defeat of Japan
To achieve sovereignty
Over the defiant island
Japan's own future distinct
Would be determined
By the Shogunate's measures
Either side of the divide
Each had courageous warriors
Heroes are not made by words
But bravery in defiance
To offer resistance
To defeat
Led by the elite samurai
Or the Mongol warlords
Whatever the result
Risk and casualties certain
Then Mongols sent waves
Horseman and infantry attacks
In reply defensive actions
And glorious tasks
Meant the decision
Would be distinct
Defined, measured out
For the question had no answer
The battlefield swept
With the return visit
Of the Kamikaze
The Mongols scattered
Their goals shattered
Lives crushed
Crashed upon the shores
With the few survivors
Limping back across the sea
To tell the tale of disaster
And future unfulfilled dreams
