Swords With Words

I said one thing and
she heard another and we
sallied back and forth like
skirmishers of heavy elements
just over the horizon which then
met in murky light,
little-used guns barking and
back-firing, taking chunks from our
tight-packed troops, our
positions penetrated, our
arguments shredded like our
standards, each praying the
other would sue for peace,
would admit that to
cross swords with words was
indeed mighty perilous.