"Murder in the House of Earth and Sky" - the traitor's poem

“Murder”, a word so foul it must be spat from the lips of men. Murder, vile tongue-less beast, bred in bone and blood, and whelped on the cruel breast of remorseless sin. It has no voice and yet it whispers in my ear, a constant plague: “Murder in the House of Earth and Sky.”

What evil have I born witness? Had I not been warned afore? See no, hear no, and speak no evil but still it touches me. This sin of Cain slips into my House and stains me in scarlet. Cain, bringer of murder, father to this unforgiveable sin that has crept through the nightmares whilst I slept.

There has been a murder in the House of Earth and Sky. Cain’s sin trespassed upon mine threshold uninvited. Death, unwarranted, passed from chamber to chamber, piercing the night with violent barbs ‘til this House of noble blood was purged. All that bears witness to our once grand line are now captive thrones.

Upon the kin killer’s brow sits a golden crown where once an iron band did shape his humor. This man slayer, this modern Cain, this blood spiller, this steel hearted conquer. Mine Cousin. False king yet.

I, unspent blood still. Seed of the fallen lord, kin blooded to the man slayer. I am shamed in my captivity here, among the House of Earth and Sky. Bordered in by walls and oaths. I am but the caged bird, a drab sparrow where once eagles only dared to go. I am tongue-less, my mouth unable to cast out the foul words of treasons, for it was I that left the gates unbarred in the night’s watch. When all the blood of my kin poured out upon the ground, I was spared by the forfeit of a key. A key to my lord’s chamber where he laid, his lady and he.

Now I am bound upon barbed oaths to this pretend king. I am in madness, driven to lunacy as the cries of my fallen clan tear at my ears. Blood in and blood out, and I have not paid my dues. I am due to die, to spill scarlet’s share of the malison. I am cursed. My madness brings threefold shame upon my head, branded traitor, kin slayer, and murderess. Melancholy bid me die, be quick and swift and undeterred to risk the blade and sleep in silence forever more…

The cowardice in me, the spiteful brand that burned me to be disloyal, churns in my gut, reminding me that unholy Hell awaits me with eager doom and darkened arms. I am forbid and damn to do all in the breath I quake.

There is murder in the House of Earth and Sky and I…

… I hold the dagger.

[To hear a recorded version of this poem, please visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjpSziFV6gA]

My Wildest Dreams

I had a crazy thought last night. I started thinking about who I would cast in "Return to Eternity" the movie. The main characters in "Return to Eternity" are, of course, Hero Lansing, Raenth "Rae" Galestrum, Dathon Wing, Mare Freestone, Fae Namir, and Jeana Lansing.

Hero Lansing is the main protagonist of "Return to Eternity". Hero is described as a scarlet haired girl with very pale eyes, almost clear or silvery. She is tall and willowy, and very beautiful. Hero and her mother are very similar in body structure and face, but Jeana has golden blond hair and brilliant green eyes. My choice for a Hero and Jeana pair is Megan Fox (Transformers) and Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider).
If I go with the Megan Fox-Angelina Jolie combo as mother and daughter, my choice for Mare Freestone would be Jessica Alba to finish off the Freestone royal family.

Now, in my story, Hero's adopted cousin is Mare Freestone. Mare is not only Hero's best friend but also her body double. So its important for Hero and Mare to appear very much a like. My second choice for a Hero and Mare combo would be Keira Knightly (Atonement) as Hero Lansing and Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta) as Mare Freestone. I chose Keria and Natalie because they've worked as body doubles before on Stars Wars the Phantom Menace.

Raenth Galestrum, better known as Rae, is Hero's love interest throughout the story. Rae is described as an androgynous young man with an "angel's mask" face and mischievous sapphire eyes. His hair is an ebony shade and usually worn long. Rae is flirtatious and fiery, but very loyal and passionate about his friends. I've always pictured Rae as a handsome British young man, so it wasn't very hard to picture the actor I thought could be Raenth Galestrum, Hero's paramour.

My first choice for Rae was British actor Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian). I think his dark, smokey looks match Rae's almost perfectly, save for his dark brown eyes, while Rae was stormy blue eyes. Still, Ben is an amazing match for Rae. My second choice is one of my favorite actors, Tom Felton (Harry Potter's Draco Malfoy). I don't feel he is as strong a candidate as Ben Barnes, but I think he has Rae's boyish good looks and cheery nature.

I can't mention Rae Galestrum without mentioning his ever present comrade, Lord Dathon Wing. Dathon Wing is the son of an Eternity nobleman and the sister of the Sultan of Ravel. Dathon is described as be tall, about 6'5", and lanky. He is shy, intelligent, and solemn. His eyes are a deep, warm brown the color of mahagony and his hair is an unruly sandy blond crown.My original inspirations for Rae and Dathon was the Japanese singer Gackt Camui for Rae, and Gackt's bandmate and best friend, You, as Dathon. As my story grew, my idea of Dathon and Rae's images changed as well, but I kept the mysterious but strong bond between the young men that was inspired by Gackt and You.

My ideal actor would be Robert Pattinson (Twilight) as the solemn, shy, but very handsome Dathon Wing. As my second choice, or perhaps a young Dathon Wing, would be William Moseley (Chronicle of Narnia's Peter Pensive). I think he's a little bit more boyish and younger than I picture Dathon, but I feel he has a very strong, patient, and knightly manner that really stands out as very Dathon like traits.

My final character is the villian Fae Namir, the Witch of Kerge. I have two choices for Fae, but I do not favor one over the other because I haven't really settled on my total idea of an actress for Fae, since she is such a definitive role in the story.

Fae Namir is the bastard daughter of the Emperor of Kerge, Lordeous, and his mistress, a Shade named Olia. She is a vibrantly beautiful but dangerous woman. She is an accomplished general in the Kerge's army by the time she was twenty, a high ranking member of the Kerge's Inner Council, and a powerful mage. She is perhaps the most dangerous being in the world of Therra before the fall of Eternity. Fae has straight, long black hair, snowy white, flawless skin, and brilliant violet eyes. She is seen as unbelievably beautiful but horrible and terrifying.

My choices for Fae Namir's actress are Charlize Theron (Monster) or Kate Beckinsale (Underworld). I think Charlize has more of Fae's beauty, but Kate has her darker, dangerous appeal. I am truly on the fence about the better actress to play Fae.


This is really my wildest fantasy of who I'd want to play my beloved characters if the book was ever made into a movie. I hope you enjoyed checking out my blog and these pictures as much as I had making it!

As a final note, I found these pictures all over the internet and this blog was all in fun, no infringement intended. So please, don't sue... I am very, very poor.

A sneak preview of "Return to Eternity"

Chapter II : From Exile to Eternity

A nervous jolt rushed through Hero's body, her skin prickling with invisible barbs. In her ears, as they strained against the bonds of deaf dreaming, the whispers came to her. They were almost too soft for her to hear, laboring to break through the heavy veils of sleep that bound her. Still, the constant murmur, a choir of whispers, probed at her dreaming mind, thrusting through the layers of sleep to force through their message.
Wake up!

Hero Lansing's pale eyes burst open as she shot forward in her bed, her heart hammering to get out of her chest as her lungs screamed for air. Her vision blurred on the corners, darkening as if she would faint from the pressure of the furious blood shooting to her brain. All around her the other girls making the long voyage from Atticus to Eternity slept serenely. Not even one stirred in their innocent slumber. Hero brought a shaking hand to her brow, wiping away a cold sweat. She shook the wild crimson curls from her face, tucking the unruly strands of hair behind her ears. Only the creak of the ship's timbers and the soft huff of the girl's steady breathing could be heard around, and yet…

Hero shook her head again, rubbing at her eyes vigorously. It was silly to think she had heard anyone call to her, miles out to sea. And yet she could of sworn she'd heard a voice, a woman's voice calling to her, urging her to wake. The questions of who and what had stirred her so early in the morning and for what means sat heavily on Hero's young mind, unwilling to allow her to sink back into sleep. With a heavy sigh, the red haired teen tossed aside her bedding and started dressing as quietly as possible. The last thing she wanted this early in the day was to wake even one of her resting companions.

The upper decks of the Astolat were still fairly deserted as the first inklings of daybreak crept along the horizon. The upper crust of the sun hadn't even peeked over the horizon, but already Hero could see the crimson fringes of dawn. The teen smiled to herself, ambling across the deck on sea sturdy legs towards the forecastle.

"Ahoy!" a young sailor crowed, swing down a long line of rigging and dropping to the deck only feet from Hero. His feet touched down with boneless grace, a roughish grin plastered to his youthful face. Hero smiled sweetly to Sorley of Pearlscale. The copper headed youth ran a hand over his sparkling blue eyes, flicking the sweat from his brow.

"It will be a hot one aga'n," he drawled in the distinct tones of the Faerian, her father's tribe. Hero's own coppery locks and pale, pale eyes reflected the traits of her father's people, much like Sorley, but her ivory skin and slender, willowy form was that of her noble-blooded mother. Sorley's stocky, compact body and nutshell colored skin was all the set the two apart.

"Aye, I've heard Eternity's been under a hot spell for a month now," Hero replied easily in the twang common of the Faerian language. The Faerians were a sect outside of the Orion people that ruled Ends Land, Hero's homeland. It was uncommon for her to use the lower classed dialect, but it came to her as easily as her high-breed orations among her fellow noblewoman. Sorley's mischievous smile and faint nod seemed approving of the drop in formality. The young sailor looked eastward towards the white, glistening city the ship was sailing towards. Even in the near darkness it glowed with an inner luminescence reminiscent of a pearl. Eternity, the Pearl of Ends Land. A fitting name for the beautiful city.

Sorley jerked his chin towards Eternity as he gathered up a line of rope and coiled it aimlessly.

"A strange, foul mood been hov'ern over Eternity with the blast'd heat," Sorley murmured absently, his eyes glancing over Hero as if to see if she caught the coded message. Hero's red brows peaked slightly, her face remaining well masked as she leaned casually against the ship's rail.

"Oh? A bad heat tends to boil men's senses, makes them do funny things," Hero replied with the same undertone. Sorley snorted, shaking his coppery head.

"Watch your back, kid'ling," Sorley warned, using the Faerian's term of endearment to a child, "Many a feller's senses is corrupted on shore. Almost like the heat's a mag'iked evil." Sorley shot her a superstitious look from the corner of his cornflower blue eyes, but Hero ignored it.

Hero's eyes turned instead towards the thickening swath of bloody red light covering the eastern skyline. A dreadful feeling crept into her stomach as the crimson sun started to rise from the sea, painting everything it touched in shades of blood. Even the sparkling white spires of Eternity started to take on a bleeding sort of look as the first rays of dawn touched upon them. The city appeared to be showered in a battlefield's worth of gore and destruction. Sorley cursed quietly at her side and made a sign against evil over his chest. Hero felt her stomach sink lower as the wind stirred her bounty of scarlet locks, the whispering choiring in her ears again.

Danger…

The great thing about greedy friends....

Now, I'm not saying greedy, like miserly money grubbers, or stealing candy from a baby greedy friends. No, I'm talking about those "greedy" friends that are trying to get their hands on the first copy of your novel so they can be the first person to read your work. Yeah Nyx, talking about you.

I've been kicking around my novel "Return to Eternity" for awhile. I keep tweaking details and writing, re-writing, re-re-writing the opening so it's just right. This novel has been my baby since I had a nightmare about evil goo eating men and turning them into monsters three years ago. Of course the first person I told about my bad dream turned inspiration was my BFF, Nyx. Her words hit me hard the minute I told her I wanted to write this novel; "You better finish this one, Mysse!"

Ouch! That kinda stung like a verbal bitch slap. I mean, I've been writing stories since I was six and it's been my passion, but I tried to keep it on the underground. Mostly because my family really couldn't care less what crazy things I was writing about and because, well I never let anyone really read any of my work. I'm loud and boisterous around my friends, but deep down I'm just a shy, insecure girl that isn't always sure if she's ever been 'good enough'. But to hear from my best friend that I had to actually finish writing at least one of my wild stories? That was a wake up call.

So I've been pounding away at every detail of RtE. This is my epic, maybe not my master piece, but definitely my best saga. And after 3 years, and almost 2 of those 3 was spent battling writer's block, I have the final plot line for Return to Eternity.

Yeah, I know that's like a really dumb place to be. 3 years and all you have if a finished plot line? Hear me out. All the images, all the words and characters have been kicking around my head, some working, some crashing, but they've all been jumbled up in there waiting to get out. So I have over 200 pages of notes alone about things I want in the story, character designs, places, descriptions, and motivations. Let me tell you, sorting through 200 pages of garbled ideas about how a character's motivations that I wrote at 4 in the morning back in 2007 is like trying to figure out if the chicken came first, the egg, or the ameba that then evolved into the aquatic animal, which then became an amphibian, and that became the naked mole rat.

What I'm ranting about is that it's been a long evolution of ideas into a final package. This final plot line, which I keep in a special journal, is my final say on what stays and what goes, so I can finally write my rough draft of this baby that has taken me 3 long years to birth.

Which brings me to my greedy friends motives. Any one can plainly see my mind and hands run about as fast as my mouth, and just like my mouth, often screws up what I'm trying to say and I end up looking like an idiot. So whenever I have something really important I have to do, I go running to my beloved Nyx. Because I always cheated off of her in language arts. I mean, hell yes, I can use the English language like a whiz! I am a brilliant writer, but my grammar and spelling is that of a dense 12 year old... if that! So Nyx, my super speller, is my favorite little red pen wielding super hero to run to in times of need. And that's why I dropped in conversation the other day that I really needed an editor to look over RtE when I have the rough draft typed up, which should be about a month and a 1/2 time from now. (Keep your fingers crossed 'cause I'm still trying to get into college, so I might get distracted and not finish as soon as expected.) And my great, wonderful Nyx jumped at the chance to read my story because my greedy, greedy little editor wanted to be the first to read Return to Eternity, the story she inspired me to finish.

So here we are Nyx. I'm only a short time away from actually completing one of my novels, and you're the one that made it happen for me. Thanks for always believing in me!

The Pennsylvania Defense Against Zombie Invasion (PDAZI)

The Pennsylvania Defense Against Zombies

Greater Erie County Coalition Committee’s
First Edition of Departmental Infrastructures
As Presented By Chairperson MT. Frye
for Prewar Preparations Committees

The Greater Erie County Coalition of the PDAZ has created this strategic plan of resource and tactical deployment and management in case of a Phase One through Four Outbreak in preparation for a Z-Level Crisis. This plan is drafted and presented by Chairperson MT. Frye on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. This is the PDAZ’s initial intelligence and premeditated strategy in case of a Z-Level Outbreak and Crisis.

In order to reform and recuperate a modest lifestyle for survival through a Z-War or a Post Z-War, the PDAZ has taken these first steps in arranging a plan for management of community resources, goods, trades, tactical training, defense coordination, etc… in order to secure the safety and continuation of the human race.

The “Frye” Plan

Department of Tactical and Martial Resources

• Weaponry
• Ammunition
• Armor
• Defense Training
• Tactical Training
• Prewar Outfitting of Troops
• Prewar Defensible Area(s) Scouting
• Prewar Mock Training Missions
• Post War Policing and Punishments

Department of Natural Resources

• Food
• Water
• Crops
• Animals
• Environmental Resources
• Food and Water Management
• Food Storage and Stockpiling for Seasonal Recession
• Food and Water Distribution
• Environmental Resources Conservation
• Prewar Environmental Resource Scouting
• Prewar Education

Department of Human Resources

• Able Body Workforce
• Classification of Work Resourcefulness
• Reeducation of Untrained Non-trade Workforce
• Specialized Training Programs
• Duty Rosters
• Housing
• Personal Management and Distribution
• Populace Management

Department of Tools and Trades

• Farm Equipment
• Animal Tack
• Carpentry, Masonry, Blacksmithing Tools
• Equipment for Repairs
• Maintenance of Tools, Tack, and Repairs
• Small Farm Manufacturing
• Distribution of Tools and Trade
• Prewar Stockpiling

Department of Morale

• Distribution of Clothing
• Distribution of Blankets
• Organization of Meetings and Speeches
• Slogan Campaigns
• Distribution of Books and Downtime Resources

Department of Health and Hygiene

• Medical Staffing
• Medical Supplies
• Distribution of Drugs and First Aid
• Management of Medical Resources
• Distribution of Hygienic Materials
• Manufacturing of Hygienic Materials
• First Aid Education and Training to the Populace
• Hygienic Education and Training to Populace
• Waste Removal and Disposal System Management
• Prewar Training System
• Department of Education
• Reeducation of Untrained Non-trade workforce
• Education of Trade and Specialized Skills
• Education Programs for the Youth
• Historical Documentation
• Communications Development and Management
• Stockpiles of Educational and Historical Materials
• Education of General Populace on Laws and Community “Harmony” Programs

Prewar Preparations Committees

• Relocation
• Resources
• Education
• Public Relations
• Research and Study
• Tactical Training
• Phases of a Z-Level Crisis

Phase 1 : “The Mansion” Scenario

• Small outbreak area
• Localized to countywide containment area

Questions for the Coalition:

1. What is the first steps to be taken?
2. Are there Rules of Engagement between PDAZ’s and locals?
3. Do we fight or flee?
4. What’s the plan of attack?
5. How do we conduct a retreat/relocation and to what degree?
6. Do we work in groups, communities, or solo missions?

Phase 2: “Raccoon City” Scenario

• Mid-class Outbreak
• City, state, to territory sized containment area

Questions for the Coalition:

1. What is the initial duty of a PDAZ, to protect family or community?
2. What are the Rules of Engagement between PDAZ and local authorities as well as community members and/or refugees?
3. What is the plan of retreat, long distance or fortified location?
4. Do we work in small groups (5-10 people), or large parties of “Caravans” to evacuate refugees?
5. Is the duty of the PDAZ at this point to defend homes and communities or the refugees evacuating the area or our family‘s survival?

Phase 3: “28 Days Later” Scenario

• Large Outbreaks
• National to continental containment area(s)

Questions for the Coalition:

1. What is the plan for evacuation?
2. What is the Rules of Engagement with other evacuees and refugees?
3. Do we remain in small family units and groups (5-10 people) or go on solo survival missions?
4. Do we try to regroup in designated “Safe Zones” or remain in cells?

Phase 4: “Doomsday” Scenario

• Global Outbreaks
• Humanity on the edge of extinction
• No containment areas left

Questions for the Coalition:

1. Do we try to remain in groups or self survival?
2. Do we try to regroup?
3. Do we try to reestablish small areas of humanity?
4. Is it “Everyman For Himself” or is there still orders to follow?
5. What is the PDAZ’s final directives?

____________________________________________________________________

Yeah, I just made this up for fun after reading Max Brook's Zombie Survival Guide. I hope you enjoyed my undead paranoia.

Love Letters to No One: Special Edition

SO, I thought it would brilliant if I stopped hiding all my poetry away in a dusty little journal and actually posted some of my favorite poems on the 'net. I was sort of hoping for some constructive criticism, but please understand that these are my deepest, most intimate feelings put to words that might be weaker and more brittle than the actually emotion I harbor in my soul. So please, be cruel to kind, just in the right measure. ____________________________________________________________________
Building Bridges to Nowhere
(The Feeling of War):

Afloat on a desert sea of shadow
The fragile hope glistens in pale light
The gentle heart beats carefully
Dare something foolish touches it’s gossamer strands
And shreds it’s delicate bands
In these shadowed lands of memory
Fragile hope drifts on waves of melancholy
A reminder of why it waits in depression
Somewhere between love and hate
A haughty indifference settles upon the eyes of the shadow land
A storm grows in the pit of frustration
A turbulence of emotional drain
And fear’s dogs set upon the scent
Bawling and thrashing for a shred of the tender hope skin
Nowhere to run, no place to hide
A withered rose under fear’s gnawing teeth
Under the turbulent gnashing of rage
Hope is washed away
Torn. Tangled. Tainted. Ruined.
Because a fool built bridges to nowhere in his mind
And now no one is safe from his sea of awakened sorrow.
No bridges to peace…
____________________________________________________________________
Sakura Blossoms:

You were my favorite secret
Always the mystery to me
Lies were the truth in your eyes, on your lips
You gave me one last kiss
To taste that bittersweet torture
As we danced on the knife blade of time’s sweet ecstasy
And now I think of you, my sakura blossom

Always dancing on the winds of destiny
Living for Moon filled nights
How I loved you
My sakura blossom
So bold and beautiful
But dieing too soon
It was all over far too soon

We were childhood lovers
Wanting nothing more then each others tenderness
But as the sun rose over the edges of your dreams
You were burnt by the veracity
Leaving you dazed and confused
You thought you were smarter than the rest
But you were too young

You turned us away
Trying to carry a burden to heavy for you to bear
With no friend to aid you
And all your foes armed with your fears
You abandoned us even as we fought to save you

Time was cruel to us
Taking you to the edge of the unknown
And leaving me alone with your legacy to bear
My little angel, how do I explain what happened?
How do I even begin to understand?

Has the spring bled away from our lives?
Baring the branches of our thorny friendship?
If I prick myself on the barbs of fear we’ve born,
Will the blood be the color of our bitter bloom?
Or has the winds of time torn away every last flower?
We may never know, but I’ll tend our savage garden
I’ll water this unhealthy land until I understand
What happened to my sakura blossom?
Even if all time wilts away,
I’ll shelter this bloom, this last sakura blossom.

For you alone, so bold and beautiful
In this solitary place I watch for my sakura blossom
You died out too soon
It was all over far to soon….
____________________________________________________________________
Summer Romance:

I carry your memory in me
Like a scar upon my skin
Your stain bleeds within me
Tainting my very existence

I reach out to the vanishing dream
To touch your wavering face
But it slips past my fingertips
Just like our romance together

We walked the beach
Basking in the final moments of peace
Before the autumn tore us apart

Each grain of sand was a promise
That slipped away from us
And was washed away by the sea
We touched but never loved at all
Like two strangers in the night
Fumbling towards ecstasy
Yet I knew you well
Once upon that summer night

I knew you so well
Once upon a summer night
___________________________________________________________________
Another Lost Soul:

I stumbled upon a fallen angel today, weeping in the gutter
I kneeled beside him in the rainwater and muck, silently waiting
He raised red-rimmed eyes of lament, his cold lips trembling in a perfect smile
Sadness etched his beautiful face, and even as his tears wiped away his sacred grace
I smiled, cold and wet in the rain and gutter and muck
Kneeling before a banished being of neither Hell nor Heaven
An Earth bound soul as lost as I am
And I wonder, if perhaps we are the same
I wiped away the traces of tears and helped him rise to he's feet
This will be the only kindness he receives in this cold place
With Heaven bending above us
And Hell burning below us
We are caught in a perilous struggle that we cannot defend ourselves from
My poor angel doesn't know what he's fallen into
God have mercy on us….
____________________________________________________________________
Love Letters to No One:

Alone in an unbroken silence
No consolation to this painful love
My only sanctuary exist in this ink
As I pour my shattered heart out

I would cry tears of blood
If only to get your precious attention
But even then I couldn’t face you
How can I prove my love forever
When I can’t even look in your eyes?

So here I am, my unknowing lover
Dreaming every dream of you
Embracing close this suffering desire
As I scream out this ballad of unrequited love
My love letters to no one
___________________________________________________________________
Gabriel--A Quiet Moment’s Reflection:

The rain trickles down the window panes like tear drops
Tears I know your confused gray eyes haven’t shed in years
Too proud and too strong to even let them see a crack in the façade
My beautiful one, so distant and lonely in the reflection of the moment
Even with me at your side your eyes are distant and don’t move to me
Instead they search the stormy skies for unanswered prayers
All alone in your head, can you hear the screaming in mine?

I can see the man you could have been in those distant eyes
And in the blurry uncertain moment I grasp your hand
But you don’t even realize I’m there
So I speak with my heart and eyes and presence
To speak with my voice is sacrilegious in this holy instant

I am here my love, forever and nevermore
I love the man you are, the man you want to be, and the man you will be
I love the way you mumble in your sleep and laugh and comfort me
I love the way you touch me and look at me like no other
I love you, the dreamer, the sage, the scholar, the judge, the poet
I love you, the lost boy, the broken hearted, the fallen angel, the lonely solider
I love you, my protector, my lover, my companion, my stone, my immortal

Let me be the mirror to reflect your simple perfection back at you
Let the rain be damned and hold me close to you
We’ll cry the songs yet unsung together
We’ll dream the dreams no man dares dream alone
And I’ll be at your side always even if you never hear me
Just touch my hand and hold me close to your heart
I love you my wandering angel…..I’ll be here eternally
____________________________________________________________________
Good Morning - Goodbye:

The night bleeds out into the amber skyline
Devouring the glimmering dewy stars
But your obsidian eyes no longer flutter-
No lashes tickles the soft fleshed cheek-
No longer do your eyes stir - and perceive the perfect dawn.

Grave in the silence and the heart-
The air lingers in the sky but no longer on your lips
Yet my arms embrace the crumbling dream once more-
“Close to me will always be you”-
I whisper my Good morning- goodbye
And kiss the last time your mangled brow.
____________________________________________________________________
Lack Luster:

Those eyes once dreamed.
For me they would smile and sing,
Laughter would give them lines.
But now not even their memory stirs.

Those eyes once gleamed ,
Burning emerald lights fixed on Paradise.
With lips forming the words,
Of a poem written by the broken.

Those eyes once saw,
A world that was not perfect,
But could be taught to heal.
And you once dreamed of guiding them.

Those eyes once lived.
And your body was once warm,
And your lungs once breathed,
But now you lay collecting dust.
The fragment of a lonesome memory.
Broken man on the floor.

Your eyes once beheld the sky-
Yet you never saw beyond the clouds.

Now those eyes lack luster.
____________________________________________________________________
So Saith A Fool:

I walked down to the ocean
And stood in the breaking crest
To write my name in the waters
For I am a forgone forgotten fool
Dreaming of eternity in my soul
While making sand castles to mark my legacy
Whispering my prayers to flame
To burn them away so not to be heard
And at night I dream endlessly
Of ecstasy from a longing lover
Who’s eyes have not seen me
And who’s lips have yet tasted my name
Who perhaps doesn’t even think of me
As I mourn my miserable heart
Set upon his simple graces
A painted fool am I
So let me dream alone
While he smiles upon another
____________________________________________________________________
Perfect Time:

Random objects trigger my lonely memory
Each one flashing an image of you
Smiling against the wind swept sun
Swirling dreams of the past life together
Fleeting and blurry but still tangible
Always of you standing so still
As the world moves about you blindingly
All in perfect time melody--

But always your smiling despondent face
Turned unblinking up to the burning sky
With those searching eyes of misty blue

Have you found the answers? I wonder
Or are you still dreaming in the past
Of the lost song falling from frozen lips
So you can finally capture the glory
Of the mastery of the perfect time
Your heart to mine melody
____________________________________________________________________
Another World:

I am always chasing that dream
Racing towards the horizon
And losing myself in that sinking blue sky
But when I turn around you’ll be there always
Ready to hold me high again if I stumble
So we can reach another world

Together again my wayward friend
Hitchhiking through the deserted highway
We’re getting nowhere fast
But you stay by my side
Helping me find my way when I’m lost
Sometimes I think you know me better then I know myself
So I’m not surprised when you say
“Come with me to another world”

Side by side we’ll always be together
Chasing down that precious dream
So we can share our lives
With all the laughter and tears
I have to smile every time I see your beautiful face
I think I’ve found another world

How can you stay so calm when all I want to do is scream?
It has to be frustrating calling me a friend sometimes
But even when I’m losing control
You seem to be smiling
Waiting to help me pick up the pieces
And when I runaway, you hold my hand
We can escape to another world

When I’m dreaming by your side
I think we could almost break free
Defying gravity as we fall into the sky
Like an upturned ocean view
We’ll swim right through the air
Always flying higher towards the star
We can almost reach another world

So wipe always those last sad tears
Our summer night is still blooming
There’s still a few more miles to go
Take a hold of my hand and you’ll understand
We’re on the verge of something great
For just a little longer hold on to your faith in me
We’re in another world.
____________________________________________________________________
What If This Is?:

What if the rain never stopped falling?
It would just keep pouring on you and me
What if the sun never shines again?
And what if I never smiled again?
Would you still keep promising me your forever
But how many more promises do I need?
Cause what good is your forever without you with me now?

So please stay with me a little longer
Ignore the lonely world outside that door
Even for just an instant in the blink of my tired eye
Stay with me to watch the dawn one more time

I never want to forget you in this scene
Every breath is a blessing when you’re beside me
And even if the eternal rain washes away everything
My loving memory of your simplistic beauty will forever linger
For no rain, flood, wind, or sky could steal that away
Please just say you’ll stay

Forget the tired world behind you
Lock the door and shut out the new day
All I need to survive is you, just like this
Your eyes still sleep stained but smiling
While shadows of raindrops freckle your soft skin

What if this is heaven?
____________________________________________________________________
The Floating World:

You open those reaching blue eyes
Turning your face up to the mellow sky
To take in the Heaven’s tears upon your skin
The light drifting over the golden landscape
Setting the earth afire in the bronze twilight

You’re hands and heart are wavering
Like an image in a pond’s water
Rippled and distorted but glistening still
Gathered tight at the back of your brain
That fleeting memory of a better time

When did the stars stop whispering secrets?
Their endless eyes never winking out
Even when you open your arms to gather it all in
Always reacting while I stand by perceiving
This moment of solemn understanding stretching out between us

We stand aloof from the motion of time
Our eyes turned towards the sky and our feet stumbling through the dance
Caught between this life and the next
Swayed to calamity by the music of the spheres
We are trapped by enchantment drawn hues
Your shattered soul ebbs and flows over the night
My eyes tracing your steps from wax to wane
While our painted companion’s smiles flake away
Leaving the rotting flesh revealed to the gruesome light
As we waltz around foolish Prospero’s ebony clock

So take this fading, cold hand more of marble then flesh
And spin, spin me as my body unwinds
The final threads of discontent fraying
Watch as I pull apart at the seams
Against the gilded beauty of our lonesome backdrop

Butterfly wings beating against the upturned glass
Frantic and mindless, bruising and shredding
Until the whimpering heart gives out to inevitability
But the vivid colors still linger on the gossamer skin

Such is the beauty of our shattered lives
Your blind fingers searching for redemption in the falling rain
With my heart standing beside you in pity
While the dancers carry on to the song
Trapped in our floating world
Mysterious and shallow with scorn of men
Enchanted and tiresome like ancient gods
Decadent and irrevocably decayed like our decorated faces

But still I lock you away here to ease my faltering guilt
So steady me with your jaded laughter
The tears of despair glistening at the edges of your voice
Hold me tightly in ecstasy while screaming in horror
All your rights gone wrong in a single sigh
Until the breath of life fails us both
We’ll stay frozen in this malicious wheel
Beckoned into the gilded gates of the floating world we’ve created in the silence of the true love lost upon each other
____________________________________________________________________
Harlequin:

Your eyes don’t always see me
But it doesn’t bother me much
As long as I can keep your glowing smile
I don’t need to be your only vision
Just as long as I remain in your heart
Hold on tight to that flickering memory
Of a simpler time when we could laugh freely
That’s when I could still be your harlequin
All my emotions locked behind a mask
But even then the smiles I didn’t fake

Your sincerity makes my heart flutter
The gentleness of your touch moves me
Your soft voice swaying me more then any sonata
So even when you just glance at me I fall in love
And perhaps you don’t feel the same all the time
This is all I truly need to go on

So I dance on this thin line for you
The one between your love and misery
We’ll share our wonderful laughter
The smile painted firmly on my sad face
The one I keep in a box just for you
A harlequin game all set to play
So I may steal away all your poignant tears
And renew that honest love in your eyes
Smile, baby love
Just smile for your clown
____________________________________________________________________
A Dirge for True Friends:

All the world is falling apart, like the shattered glass mirror I put my fist through while we were fighting. My life lays in shambles, an inferno without the spark, and all the lights burn my tear stained eyes. I look to the skies for some answer to the question I can never voice. In a life so miserable and lonely, what have I left to cling to?

And then I turn around and there you are. Smiling gently with a laugh and a shoulder to ease my impossible burdens and broken dreams. Thank you for being a true friend.