Showing posts with label Poem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poem. Show all posts
Thursday, December 12, 2013
It was like a candle. One tiny light lost in a shadow of black forever long. Slowly, slowly, flickering away.
Perhaps it was a star. One of those reddish ones just ready to die.
Or maybe it was the expulsion of the ship as it left us behind.
But no matter what else it was, it was hope. And hope has left us.
Left me.
To die.
I never would have dreamed of leaving in one of those shells. Especially not after the last dozen of them have been blown to shreds by the blockade. But now it is a choice between a long death and a quick one. At least there used to be a choice, until now. Because the last ship’s left.
They’re singing the dirge in the street. They’re leaving the city. They’re trying to find a decent place die.
But the sky has turned to dust and it falls to the ground and sinks into our lungs. They won’t get far.
And don’t they know this whole planet is the same city. All the way around.
Where is there to go?
The sun has gone cold. The stars are blinking out one by one. The blockade is getting closer, circling around us. Tighter.
Tighter.
Soon they’ll ink the sky. Turn what little air is left into darkness. Tangible darkness. To suffocate the life and the ground and the engines.
I long for the light already.
Sky and earth and me. Dark.
They’ve landed here now. With their shaded masks and red, red hands. Why do they hide their faces?
I have a number on my head. They gave me one. This number. I didn’t have a choice.
001201
Twelve oh one.
Huddled in a room full of filth and stink and fear. I’m chained. And I’m trembling. Shivering. Dying.
I can’t breathe this air they’ve made.
Coughing only makes it worse. But my lungs, they’re so heavy. Like the whole world sits inside my chest.
Maybe I’m dreaming. Or maybe I’m dead.
Breath in. And out.
Eyes flutter for a moment. And open.
There. In the distance. I see a gleam.
Like a reflection of a reflection of a distant star.
But there are no stars. Not here. Not now.
Is it real?
I move to touch it. Nothing holds me back. The chains they’re gone. And this room is empty too.
Like the pressure’s been released, I run.
I run.
Forever.
And never any closer.
The star, my starlight, keeps dancing out of reach.
“I’ll find you.”
And I stop.
“I’ll find you.”
Words. Like and echo in my head.
“I’ll find you.”
Bouncing between my ears. Sinking to my throat.
“Find me.” I whisper.
I feel it. Knives in my arms, on my chest. Cutting. Cutting deep.
But there’s nothing here in front of me. Just the star that I can never catch. I must have run for days.
I close my eyes. Blackness overwhelms me.
Spinning. I’m spinning like a top.
And I fall.
Falling down a thousand miles and nothing there to catch me.
Screams catch in my throat.
Pain rips through my chest and I jump.
Awake.
Alive.
And tied to a table.
Still darkness. And still that little light.
But now it’s above me. Strapped to the head of one of them. One of them with the red, red hands.
And his eyes are green and golden flecked. And they’re looking down at my chest.
I look down too.
And if I could breathe, I’d gasp. But I can’t, because there’s nothing there.
Three pairs of red, red hands are taking me apart.
Perhaps it was a star. One of those reddish ones just ready to die.
Or maybe it was the expulsion of the ship as it left us behind.
But no matter what else it was, it was hope. And hope has left us.
Left me.
To die.
I never would have dreamed of leaving in one of those shells. Especially not after the last dozen of them have been blown to shreds by the blockade. But now it is a choice between a long death and a quick one. At least there used to be a choice, until now. Because the last ship’s left.
They’re singing the dirge in the street. They’re leaving the city. They’re trying to find a decent place die.
But the sky has turned to dust and it falls to the ground and sinks into our lungs. They won’t get far.
And don’t they know this whole planet is the same city. All the way around.
Where is there to go?
The sun has gone cold. The stars are blinking out one by one. The blockade is getting closer, circling around us. Tighter.
Tighter.
Soon they’ll ink the sky. Turn what little air is left into darkness. Tangible darkness. To suffocate the life and the ground and the engines.
I long for the light already.
Sky and earth and me. Dark.
They’ve landed here now. With their shaded masks and red, red hands. Why do they hide their faces?
I have a number on my head. They gave me one. This number. I didn’t have a choice.
001201
Twelve oh one.
Huddled in a room full of filth and stink and fear. I’m chained. And I’m trembling. Shivering. Dying.
I can’t breathe this air they’ve made.
Coughing only makes it worse. But my lungs, they’re so heavy. Like the whole world sits inside my chest.
Maybe I’m dreaming. Or maybe I’m dead.
Breath in. And out.
Eyes flutter for a moment. And open.
There. In the distance. I see a gleam.
Like a reflection of a reflection of a distant star.
But there are no stars. Not here. Not now.
Is it real?
I move to touch it. Nothing holds me back. The chains they’re gone. And this room is empty too.
Like the pressure’s been released, I run.
I run.
Forever.
And never any closer.
The star, my starlight, keeps dancing out of reach.
“I’ll find you.”
And I stop.
“I’ll find you.”
Words. Like and echo in my head.
“I’ll find you.”
Bouncing between my ears. Sinking to my throat.
“Find me.” I whisper.
I feel it. Knives in my arms, on my chest. Cutting. Cutting deep.
But there’s nothing here in front of me. Just the star that I can never catch. I must have run for days.
I close my eyes. Blackness overwhelms me.
Spinning. I’m spinning like a top.
And I fall.
Falling down a thousand miles and nothing there to catch me.
Screams catch in my throat.
Pain rips through my chest and I jump.
Awake.
Alive.
And tied to a table.
Still darkness. And still that little light.
But now it’s above me. Strapped to the head of one of them. One of them with the red, red hands.
And his eyes are green and golden flecked. And they’re looking down at my chest.
I look down too.
And if I could breathe, I’d gasp. But I can’t, because there’s nothing there.
Three pairs of red, red hands are taking me apart.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
For two hundred years the mountains stood untouched
Empty
Cold and dead like the fields in wintertime
For two hundred years the earth continued to shake
Crash
Move and shatter under the weight of the sea
After two hundred years it ceased
Silent
The world was not a sound, not a breath
But deep in the dark in the shadows the rock
Deep in the places even fire never knew
There in that deep in the shelter from the sea
Came the first
Came the blue
Came the dragon of the waters
Long was his tail as the islands of the coast
Sharp was his teeth like the swords in their sheaths
Hungry was his stomach like the wolves of the snow
And up he swam from the bottom
Circling circling
Round
And the fish fled
Creatures hid
And the oceans trembled
The sea gave up her children
One by one
The blue
From the deep
They found their way to the surface and they looked into the sky
At the stars
And the sun
The bright of the sky and the land
They left their watery shadows
And climbed upon the rocks
Deep cut in slimy skin
Burning wounds from pointed cliffs
But they climbed
Higher
To the heavens
Up
And up
And up and up and up
Till they stood on the great mountains themselves
And they touched the face of the sun
And they felt the fire
Deep inside their empty bellies
Deeper than the shadows once their home
And they took the fire
Stole
Claimed it as their own
And the sea, she screamed
Her children were gone
Lost to the sun and the sky and the land
And the sea, she screamed
But her children were gone
Empty
Cold and dead like the fields in wintertime
For two hundred years the earth continued to shake
Crash
Move and shatter under the weight of the sea
After two hundred years it ceased
Silent
The world was not a sound, not a breath
But deep in the dark in the shadows the rock
Deep in the places even fire never knew
There in that deep in the shelter from the sea
Came the first
Came the blue
Came the dragon of the waters
Long was his tail as the islands of the coast
Sharp was his teeth like the swords in their sheaths
Hungry was his stomach like the wolves of the snow
And up he swam from the bottom
Circling circling
Round
And the fish fled
Creatures hid
And the oceans trembled
The sea gave up her children
One by one
The blue
From the deep
They found their way to the surface and they looked into the sky
At the stars
And the sun
The bright of the sky and the land
They left their watery shadows
And climbed upon the rocks
Deep cut in slimy skin
Burning wounds from pointed cliffs
But they climbed
Higher
To the heavens
Up
And up
And up and up and up
Till they stood on the great mountains themselves
And they touched the face of the sun
And they felt the fire
Deep inside their empty bellies
Deeper than the shadows once their home
And they took the fire
Stole
Claimed it as their own
And the sea, she screamed
Her children were gone
Lost to the sun and the sky and the land
And the sea, she screamed
But her children were gone
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Countless paths I have traveled.
But these roads don’t lead me home.
They’re shame and pain and darkness.
And sun is just a lie.
There’s a shadow laid before me.
And silence now surrounds me.
I count the last stars fading.
Though night has not begun.
The birds resume their weeping.
The stones cry out for mercy.
Trees bend in silent agony.
They know their world is lost.
Utter blackness. Broken stones.
Hopeless crying. Open grief.
Shameless seeking. Foolish loss.
And this is what I call home.
“It’s dead! All dead.” they tell me.
“No life here to live. Pass by.
Don’t get caught in the marshes.
Don’t let the Darkness take you."
But it’s too late. It knows me.
Tells me what I want to hear.
Shows me grotesque images
And pretends that they are beauty.
Home they say is beautiful.
But this is all I see:
Dirty infested ditches
That call themselves a castle
And somehow, just somehow
I’ve fallen for the lie
I cast aside my dream
For the ditch in which I die.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
I weep to think of the pain I’ve caused
The hurt I’ve made
The grief I’ve brought
I know what I did, know what I said
Spoke what I felt
Did what I dreamt
I see in your eyes, the quiet grief
Softened woe
Deeper sorrow
It’s me, it’s me; I see it all now
The darkened halls
And empty rooms
I heard the quiet of the dark nights
The echoed wails
The lasting tears
I saw the glares and vacant smiles
Mocking laughter
Twinkling sneers
I shut it away in plastic walls
In broken gates
And unlocked doors
I weep to think of the pain I’ve caused
I never stopped to think
I never stopped…
to feel
The hurt I’ve made
The grief I’ve brought
I know what I did, know what I said
Spoke what I felt
Did what I dreamt
I see in your eyes, the quiet grief
Softened woe
Deeper sorrow
It’s me, it’s me; I see it all now
The darkened halls
And empty rooms
I heard the quiet of the dark nights
The echoed wails
The lasting tears
I saw the glares and vacant smiles
Mocking laughter
Twinkling sneers
I shut it away in plastic walls
In broken gates
And unlocked doors
I weep to think of the pain I’ve caused
I never stopped to think
I never stopped…
to feel
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
By the colored scales of the dying albatross
The rain shall burn the cities
The stars shall turn to red
The hate of every man will scorch the very ground
By the broken mast of the prince’s domain
They shall cook the dove in empty pots
They shall tie the bonds to their own hands
All shall be buried together in one great mound
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Spring kneels to smell each fading bloom
Touches each petal on the ground
Reaches to stroke each changing leaf
And holds all scents of warmth she’s found
The world has changed like fleeting tide
Now silence reigns in forest deep
The birds have sung their last and flown
All the remaining creatures sleep
Still no grief comes with frosty dawn
This silver earth and frozen life
Have brought no pain or anguish near
Still Winter’s fingers bring no strife
Forest is lit with golden light
A glorious fire that does not scorch
Reds and orange have conquered green
Each tree alight as blazing torch
The skies like lava shake with red
The world is filled with smells of spice
Rivers awash with fiery leaves
That float by little blocks of ice
And Spring now whispers quiet words:
“Farewell, good friends, until next year
When life will again start to grow
Farewell, oh friends, and do not fear”
Until she once again returns
The lands will slowly fade away
But for now all is majestic
‘Fore Winter turns the world to grey
Touches each petal on the ground
Reaches to stroke each changing leaf
And holds all scents of warmth she’s found
The world has changed like fleeting tide
Now silence reigns in forest deep
The birds have sung their last and flown
All the remaining creatures sleep
Still no grief comes with frosty dawn
This silver earth and frozen life
Have brought no pain or anguish near
Still Winter’s fingers bring no strife
Forest is lit with golden light
A glorious fire that does not scorch
Reds and orange have conquered green
Each tree alight as blazing torch
The skies like lava shake with red
The world is filled with smells of spice
Rivers awash with fiery leaves
That float by little blocks of ice
And Spring now whispers quiet words:
“Farewell, good friends, until next year
When life will again start to grow
Farewell, oh friends, and do not fear”
Until she once again returns
The lands will slowly fade away
But for now all is majestic
‘Fore Winter turns the world to grey
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
It seems like only yesterday that I was chasing sunbeams
All those many years ago when I was very young
From the sunrise in the morning to the sunset and the dusk
We would play our games the whole day through
I would run by your side to vanquish all the enemies
We were the light to battle the darkness
We were the heroes of every fight and kings of every land
With all of confidence we marched out to war
Our realm was the strongest, our soldiers undefeated
We were valiant warriors and the saviors of the poor
We were strong and mighty, we were meant for victory
We lived for chivalry, for this was our creed and our command
For it seems like only yesterday that you would take my hand
And lead me to the creek to go swimming to the sea
To catch all the fishes to feed the hungry of the land
And though we never found the ocean
With you I always felt that I was doing something grand
You would lead me the fields to hack through the weeds
To find the greatest treasure that was hidden in the tangle
You led me to the hills to climb to the sky
Though we never touched the clouds or found those shiny things
With you I always felt that I was doing something grand
It seems like only yesterday you would take my hand
Together we found answers and together found mysteries
I remember how we slept outside beneath the shiny stars
To save the world from evil in case it snuck in close
We lived every day with honor, with strength, and with courage
To save all the goodness from the dark
Eventually we saw the world wasn’t black and white
And the shadows began to fall all around us
Then bit by bit the valor died and we fell into the crowd
Good just wasn’t right and bad became the norm
And now, as courage fails me, I look into the sky
My childhood has vanished now in the blink of an eye
It seems like only yesterday, all those years ago
When in the innocence of children, we always saved the world
(written 1/25/10)
All those many years ago when I was very young
From the sunrise in the morning to the sunset and the dusk
We would play our games the whole day through
I would run by your side to vanquish all the enemies
We were the light to battle the darkness
We were the heroes of every fight and kings of every land
With all of confidence we marched out to war
Our realm was the strongest, our soldiers undefeated
We were valiant warriors and the saviors of the poor
We were strong and mighty, we were meant for victory
We lived for chivalry, for this was our creed and our command
For it seems like only yesterday that you would take my hand
And lead me to the creek to go swimming to the sea
To catch all the fishes to feed the hungry of the land
And though we never found the ocean
With you I always felt that I was doing something grand
You would lead me the fields to hack through the weeds
To find the greatest treasure that was hidden in the tangle
You led me to the hills to climb to the sky
Though we never touched the clouds or found those shiny things
With you I always felt that I was doing something grand
It seems like only yesterday you would take my hand
Together we found answers and together found mysteries
I remember how we slept outside beneath the shiny stars
To save the world from evil in case it snuck in close
We lived every day with honor, with strength, and with courage
To save all the goodness from the dark
Eventually we saw the world wasn’t black and white
And the shadows began to fall all around us
Then bit by bit the valor died and we fell into the crowd
Good just wasn’t right and bad became the norm
And now, as courage fails me, I look into the sky
My childhood has vanished now in the blink of an eye
It seems like only yesterday, all those years ago
When in the innocence of children, we always saved the world
(written 1/25/10)
Friday, February 5, 2010
How can it be?
That you should go
And I remain
Here all alone
How can it be?
That you should soar away
And I should stay behind
We carry you
To where you shall rest
We lay you down
In this cold, cold ground
We lay you down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
I shall never
Hear your laughter
Never see your
Bright, shining eyes
Ever again
Why must you go ahead?
And leave me far behind
Here you lie
Till the end of time
We’ve lain you down
In this cold, cold ground
We’ve lain you down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
So many years
Have passed away
And you are but
A memory
But time runs out
You won’t be long alone
For we shall follow soon
Here you’ve lain
We will lie down too
Here beside you
In this same cold ground
We will lie down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
(written 11/7/08)
That you should go
And I remain
Here all alone
How can it be?
That you should soar away
And I should stay behind
We carry you
To where you shall rest
We lay you down
In this cold, cold ground
We lay you down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
I shall never
Hear your laughter
Never see your
Bright, shining eyes
Ever again
Why must you go ahead?
And leave me far behind
Here you lie
Till the end of time
We’ve lain you down
In this cold, cold ground
We’ve lain you down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
So many years
Have passed away
And you are but
A memory
But time runs out
You won’t be long alone
For we shall follow soon
Here you’ve lain
We will lie down too
Here beside you
In this same cold ground
We will lie down to sleep
Forever
In this cold, cold ground
(written 11/7/08)
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