*This topic was given to me, and I ended up writing two separate poems. It's based off of several old Japanese woodblock prints.*
For his Family's Honor(1)
For his family's honor,
the boy who was to be a man
sought out the fearsomely courageous beast
whose fangs gleamed sharp
in the summer's sun.
Determined to prove his valor,
no weapon lay in his hand;
no armor encased his chest.
He was wild, as the boar was wild,
and when he came upon it
he returned its glare of defiance.
Many tales existed of this animal,
whose skin was so thick,
no blade could pierce it.
Still, the boy was sure that soon
there would be stories of him;
Inosuke, the boar warrior.
With a cry, he drove himself forward
praying he wouldn't get caught beneath
those slicing pointed feet.
Grazed by a tusk, he wasn't deterred.
Its course hair was clasped in his hands
as he leapt onto the back of the bold creature.
He struck with fists like stone,
the boar's skull giving way beneath his fury.
Bleeding and alone, he grabbed its feet,
Pulling it home, all for his family's honor.
