The Last Guard Poem

The Last Guard is a painting by Kev that was inspired by a poem written by him in 2022. The poem explores the idea of trust and internal conflict amongst other things.

The image was (prior to changing our stance on usage of it) created initially by AI being given the prompt of the poem, and since then, it’s been bourght to life in a painting, Kev adding the character and movement to it.

The poem is shared below:

The Last Guard

I haven't found words for you yet
The last guard standing
Standing at the gates of what's left of my heart.
The last guard cut to pieces
All your brethren as broken pieces
The heroes fallen
The cowards dying all over again
Didn't listen
Won't listen
You're not my hope
You’re the consequences of choices all the moments refused to make
And guess what these words are still not for you
The last guard standing
At the gates of my heart

Maybe I do have a gesture for you
A mark in the virtual here
To speak about the possible there
A metaphor to label you
Janus
Maybe those words are now about you
Not the last guard
Only when it suits you
A bribe away from turning away
Standing, waiting to turn away

I haven't found words for you yet
I'm taking them all away
You can guard this heart
The stone cracked and torn
The last guard of the shadows
Self condemned to watch over
The remains of a life by wretched heart
I've found a new one
And these are words for the guards of this heart

Blaze in the hope of stars

by Kevin Hargest 2022