broken wings

how do you fly with broken wings
without a breath of wind
in darkness beyond a bloody sun
amid the chill of winterdeath...

--light calls
song beckons
--remember?

but flight is dead
and music gone
in the blur of falling rain...

where do you hide
when your foe is yourself?
how do you flee
from the demon within?
do you have a soul?
do you have a heart?
or just an empty shell--
falling again...

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Death by Beauty

Ever run the night
seen the dawn
raced the sun
sang the stars--

Ever fought the void
chased the tide
caught the light--

Ever danced the storm
dueled the wild--

Ever killed the soul?

I have--
whirled amidst the falling fires
as night cloaks all in dark despair
and beauty savages the soul
so strong, so pure the storm
dancing lightning into dawn
roaring tide racing from wind
from pounding feet
from that which pursues none know what

And I have captured the wild
and all its mad wonders--
immersed myself in it
and it in me
until...

until it consumes I
and I consume the wild
and the night
and the dawn
and all that exists in the void of the soul

until I and everything...

are nothing

and I've tried to hold too much too long
and my soul
is gone
into the void...

~ * ~ * ~

Circling

Back and forth and up and down
Wall to wall, sky and ground
Where to go, where to run
When ground is sky and up is down?

Dark and light and left and right
Night to day, black to white
What to do, what to say
When white is black and wrong is right?

Names and masks and truth and lies
Play to work, fools to wise
Who to trust, who to be
When truths are masks and names are lies?

Death and life and loss and gain
Breath to blood, free to chains
How to think, how to live
When life is death and joy is pain? . .

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

hey you
broken body on the barren beach side
whatcha doin' lying there
'stead of swimming in the sea
or running on the white sands--

hey you
stranded there by despair and the tide
whatcha doin' staying there
full of pain an' liking every moment
of the summer sunburn--

hey you
crazy with your sorrows and your baggage
whatcha doin' hanging there
showin' off your scars to every passin' gull
and hopin' they'll bring new wounds--

hey you
castaway a-hiding out in plain view
whatcha doin' dying there
'stead of fighting back for your own mind--

scared you'll maybe win?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Leave me alone
because I want to be alone
even as every pore cries with the pain of it
because I like the pain.

Stop trying
because it's not going to help
if I won't accept any aid offered
because I'm afraid.

Give up already
because I've given up as is
knowing it's hopeless, I'm hopeless, nothing to be done
because this is me.

But don't worry
because I'm nothing and no one
and I'm not going to hurt myself or worse
because I care too much.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Falling

Spinning in a cocoon
Back and forth, up and down
As the world swirls ‘round
Chatter talk, speak to me
Tell me your thoughts
Put emotions to words
But I’m walled away
And I can’t answer you.

How do I/what do I/feel--
You want to know?
Then demolish the wall
’Cos I’m in shock
And my mind’s been slashed

away

from soul/will/heart
Can’t feel, can only think
Wrapped in darkness
in shadow
content to stay like this
Safe…
Feel nothing.
Have no heart and it can’t get broken
Let yourself feel no emotion
Falling into myself again…

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Worn Away

Child, new and innocent, welcome
To the world that wears down everything in time.
Cry you do, and well, and true
Cry for death’s first touch.

See the wind that wears away
The stone the earth the hills
See the mountain tall and proud
The chasm low and deep
Mountain wind will wear the cliffs
To rubble.

See the faces of the world
Arrogant to humble
Confident to broken
Free to enslaved
Innocence will wear to grief
Hope will wear to hope
less
ness.

Child, new and innocent, farewell
Early gone from the world that wears down all
Cry we do, and fools we, true
Cry for one who has escaped
Cry for innocence gone
Without breaking.

See the graveyard, your fresh graves
Side by side by faded stones
Once new, once sharp, once simply read
Now, like life to death
Worn a w a y .

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Raven

Raven--sign of death of evil
Darkwing crossing broken moon
Cold and cruel your bloodblcak stare
But you don't care.

Scavenger, live off of war
Portent of darkness, warning
Watching--men your tools
Your food
Your servants...

Let me fly
through the night
on your wings
Lend me your unfeeling heart
your uncaring soul
just for a day...

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Smile!

Smile! for the world's just great
The birds are singing
And the sun's shining
And everyone's smiling at you.

Smile! for there's nothing wrong
Your blood is pumping
And time is passing
And we're all optimists too.

Smile! for tomorrow's come
The blade is shining
And flowers are growing
And the world's waking anew.

Smile! for the day is done
Your life is fleeing
And birds are singing
And death is laughing with you.