Autistic Masking and Burnout: There Were Once Two Knights (Poem)
There Were Once Two Knights
One was covered
in dark onyx armor
And one was covered
in pale pink
Head To Toe
Heavy
They lived on an island
Surrounded by pine trees
In the middle
A gilded castle
The Onyx’s Jerusalem
The Pink’s Bastille
For the Onyx
Stubborn in their mission
Never distracted
guarding the way to their own Jerusalem
A Thermopylae where names are lost
No matter how many wolves
Bears
Or bandits that laid upon them
They remain steadfast
The shield unbroken
The Pink Knight stays in their mind
The heart races
But the shadow of the castle reminds them why they stand
The knight’s gaze steadies, just enough
Even if
moonlight felt like a sun that refused to set
For the Pink
They know their mission
To leave the Bastille
But afraid of what’s outside
Afraid of ghosts that haunt the mind
Flamboyant, but reserved
Empathetic, but aloof
Adventurous, but timid
Do they know?
Thus, Pink remains
In bright colored halls
Lavender scented drapes
Beautiful Chandeliers in empty rooms
Books, each fantastical than the last
Chess for the late evening
Savoring the Schnitzel
with fresh lemon juice
Luxury, as a salve for the lonely
Always wondering
On why the distant seagulls
play in the sky
The feeling of sand
A world without the sound of battle below
Always dreaming
To build their own heaven
To walk upon their own heaven
To share that heaven
Despite hell feeling closer
Familiar
Rehearsed
For the Pink wants to leave the Castle
While the Onyx
wants to protect what was inside of it
The Pink understands the Onyx role
But yearns to leave
For travelers hear Onyx’s sword
And not Pink’s name
The Onyx knows
But wish the Pink
Understand why the refuge exists
Even if only the deeds are remembered
Then came the day
When Pink steps out
Onyx steps in the way
Pink steps forward
Raising their sword
Onyx does not
Rather, they raised their shield
Knowing the Rubicon shall be crossed
Thus, came the clash
No observers in sight
The beasts are quiet
Clangs of metal
The sun sets
Onyx armor feels heavier
The ring of metals suddenly became unbearable
Their hands tremble
It can no longer be ignored
Pink strikes are slower
The scent of lavender grows stronger
The stomach turns
Was it always there?
At last, Onyx armor broke
A racing heart
Sharp breathing
Onyx falls
Wheezing, then silence
Pink’s strength suddenly withers
Their head throbs like thunder
The world turns distant
Surreal
For the knights
What’s left became fragments
Heed this tale
For armor and skin become blurred
And what survives becomes a shadow of itself
But within harsh shadows
there is always dawn
About Eden
Eden Alon is a disability coach and community facilitator who works with teens and young adults with disabilities to build confidence, communication skills, and independence in everyday life. With a background in communication, advocacy, and nonprofit work, Eden has supported hundreds of people through coaching, workshops, and peer-led programs.
Click Here to learn more on how Eden can support you or your family. Or click here to schedule a free consultation
© 2026 Eden Alon. All rights reserved. “This Were Once Two Knights” is an original poem by Eden Alon. The poem, including its text and all constituent elements, is protected by copyright law. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, adapted, stored, or otherwise used without the prior written permission of the author.
This work may not be used, copied, ingested, scraped, or otherwise utilized to train artificial intelligence or machine-learning models or to create datasets, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written consent from the author. Automated or manual scraping of this content is prohibited.
Requests for permission should be made in writing to Eden Alon at: eden@coastalcompasscoaching.com. Unauthorized use may result in legal action to the fullest extent permitted by law.
