{"id":654,"date":"2026-11-11T16:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T22:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/?p=654"},"modified":"2026-11-05T17:27:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T23:27:40","slug":"the-price-of-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/11\/11\/the-price-of-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"The Price of Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Memorial day is for the fallen. Veteran\u2019s day is for the survivors and the weight they carry.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mend the shield and hone the sword
\nPray for peace as its own reward.
\nWatch the light at break of day
\nand stand your watch, come what may.<\/p>\n

Bloodied fields cry with ghosts
\nWhile battle lines take their posts.
\nGrim the line in early dawn
\nAnd voices raise their battle song.<\/p>\n

Yet when it\u2019s time to count the dead
\nThe grizzled warrior bows his head.
\nThe wounded twist in fever dreams
\nNaught he can do will ease their screams.<\/p>\n

Grim and old he turns to the field:
\nAnd gathers the dead on their shields.
\nHis heavy heart no glory finds
\nJust sorrow weighting heart and mind.<\/p>\n

The time will come when bards will sing,
\nAnd history brag of bitter things,
\nBut warriors gather to find release
\nAnd drink in sorrow at the price of peace.<\/p>\n

The Price of Peace<\/em> copyright \u00a9 Heather Strickler 2026 all rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Memorial day is for the fallen. Veteran\u2019s day is for the survivors and the weight they carry. Mend the shield and hone the sword Pray for peace as its own reward. Watch the light at break of day and stand your watch, come what may. Bloodied fields cry with ghosts While battle lines take their… Read More The Price of Peace<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,13],"tags":[27,26,22,20,34,30],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","category-writing","tag-chiaroscuro","tag-duty","tag-grim","tag-mood","tag-soldiers","tag-thoughts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parUcj-ay","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":393,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/05\/26\/day-of-mourning\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":0},"title":"Day of Mourning","author":"Heather","date":"May 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I wrote this a while ago, but it never seemed the right time for it. It now seems appropriate for Memorial Day. Day of sorrow, day of pain Day to mourn the lost again. While vengeance serves a bitter draught Hard won justice is slowly bought. The wolf\u2019s head fear\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Mourning.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Mourning.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Mourning.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":501,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/01\/decisions\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":1},"title":"Decisions","author":"Heather","date":"December 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A poem from my Dwarven Throne world. I hope you enjoy it. Decisions in the dawn before the sun can see That echo in the fabric of all reality. Backwards now and forwards, weaving on through time Though they have never given a reason or a rhyme. Decisions in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Decisions.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Decisions.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Decisions.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":439,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/09\/03\/the-mad-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":2},"title":"The Mad King","author":"Heather","date":"September 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Something one of my novel worlds poked to life. The crushing weight of duty Like irons weighing down The love of kin and country Pile lead upon the crown. While his heart seeks out an answer His mind is giving in. Not to pride or to hubris Nor to bright\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TheMadKing.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TheMadKing.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TheMadKing.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":647,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/11\/02\/into-the-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":3},"title":"Into the Light","author":"Heather","date":"November 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Another Goblin song, but it seemed appropriate for the day after All Saint\u2019s day. Not everything ends in darkness. Even for Goblins. Twisted forms and battered souls, Empty eyes, and strength\u2019s dire toll, Shattered limbs as spirits break, How much more can a soul take? A solace found in soaring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Into-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Into-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Into-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":445,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/09\/12\/edge-of-darkness\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":4},"title":"Edge of Darkness","author":"Heather","date":"September 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Days are dark but hope is never gone. A light in the darkness cannot be quenched. A star in the sky burns forever entrenched. Where there is light, the night holds no sway. And though darkness may come, to dawn it gives way. A candle held high can be snuffed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":614,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/10\/16\/all-that-remains\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":5},"title":"All That Remains","author":"Heather","date":"October 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Something a little epic for your day. Blooms of fire in the night Echo back the wan daylight Cinder sparks and angry coal Kindling now vengeance toll. Pass the fire in the night Watch the days glowing bright Wrath that builds on hollow gains Leaves a shell: all that remains\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/All-That-Remains.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/All-That-Remains.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/All-That-Remains.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/The-Price-of-Peace.jpg?fit=600%2C600","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":656,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions\/656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}