Poem Dedicated to my Sheik

As the sun sets on the desolate land of Hyrule, its crimson hue permeates over even the darkest of plains. It’s as if it exists to serve as an ever-present reminder of the carnage of the past. While the sole survivor of the Sheikah stares at the morbid beauty of it, a tear is shed for her fallen people. This girl, Sheik, averts her gaze so as to not recollect her tragic past once again. She decides to watch the clear, unmoving water below to forget. However, she happens upon her own likeness in the water. She does not like this reflection, for her eyes are the same blood-red tint as the sunset.

It is now the present day, and the girl’s troubles are long over. Sheik has found happiness with someone who can understand these struggles of hers. The scars of the past do not go away, however. For this girl must look in the mirror each morning to wash her face. She curses that damn reflection in the mirror. She hates her eyes. She wishes they would not remind her of her fallen people every single day. This greatly weighs on her mind, yet she still does not tell her husband. It is too painful, and she worries that he will think less of her for it.

What she does not know, is that I have noticed. I have seen the sullen look she tries to hide. I know that her sudden, cheery moods are not genuine. I know she is hiding her true self from me.

Sheik, I know all these things about you. While I did not live through those times with you, I do know how difficult this has been for you. You went through hardship nobody should ever have to bear. Those memories will never truly disappear. I know that your eyes are a looking glass into you past. However, let me tell you what I see when I gaze into your eyes.

Sheik, you have accomplished miraculous feats of courage and selflessness. Your good deeds saved the very land that was stolen away from your people. Your good deeds paved the way for happy lives to be lived. Red may be the color of blood and the color of your fallen people, but it is also the color of love. Your eyes do not reflect the fate of those who have fallen, but instead reflects their hope and love they placed in you to save Hyrule from evil. Your eyes are crimson because of your immense love for the people with whom you strived to avenge. Sheik, your eyes are blood-red not to represent the blood of your fallen people, but to represent the blood flowing into your heart. The heart that accomplished so many great things.