Among the forest lived a Butterfly of pretty colours,
Her stunning charm and kindness separated her from others,
But though the Butterfly was deeply loved by everyone,
Her soul was not at peace, sometimes she could not see the sun.
For all the other creatures thought that she did hurl the moon,
But when the Butterfly looked down she saw her old cocoon.
“Please don’t hold me higher than the others, for I’ve checked,
And knowing myself I understand I’m nowhere near perfect.
I’ve secrets that I’ve carried since I was a caterpillar,
None of you have witnessed them, for all you know I’m a killer!?
Don’t just look at me for there are others!” and she pointed,
“If I show you all my colours you will all be disappointed.”
     But smart a creature as this Butterfly could surely be,
She could not see the whole forest, every plant, each life, each tree.
If all the creatures of the wood could see inside her brain,
They all would have come forward, and all would have said the same:
“We know you are not perfect and we can’t see under your wings,
But even if hide you a dozen false colours, bad past, lies and tings,
It wouldn’t make a difference cos the colours that you show,
Are enough to make a full eclipse do nothing else but glow.
The time and smiles you make such efforts to gift to everyone,
Make certain that any negative traits would matter to no-one.
So please don’t lie awake at night and worry what’s under your wings,
Every part of you As A Whole,
Ensures the forest sings.”

I once lived on a beautiful farm, sparkling with green life,
With family I dwelt, growing crops, and never was there strife,
But even with the gorgeous wildlife, lined with perfect flowers,
I sometimes thought beyond the borders there were secret powers,

So one fine day I left our home, travelling through unknown lands,
Through jungles bustling with new creatures, spectacular desert sands,
After walking many miles I came across a gnome,
Who promised me an astonishing gift that I could take back home,
I asked him what I could give in return; he asked me for my clothes,
And pointed out the quickest way back, a dark and desolate road,

The gift was packed inside a crate and loaded on a cart,
But there were no horses to pull it and it looked to be falling apart,
So I tied the ropes around my chest and pulled my gift with all my might,
Naked on the dark road I began to feel the fright,
I was sure the gift would be worth the many leagues that I had travelled,
But sweating, sunburnt, exhausted, I could feel myself unravel,

I got home to my family at last but their faces were concerned,
Naked, tired and hungry I revealed what I had earned,
The crate burst open with a BANG! The gift charged out with menaced eyes,
A horse as black as a the back of a cave, screaming strangled cries,

It’s eyes were dead,
It screamed and fled,
It trampled everything in sight,
Blocking out the sun’s own light,
My family’s house was trodden down,
And I stood watching like a clown,
All the crops were battered,
My precious flowers lay in tatters,
And it charged our homeland endlessly,
As powerful and stubborn as the sea,

And then it came straight for me so I turned around and fled,
But within a second I lay on the ground, hooves stamping on my head,
I often tried to hide by digging holes with hands and nails,
But it sought me out through day and night, leaving ghostly awful trails,
My family built a tunnel whilst I held my wounded head,
And I lived down there in terror seeing no bright lights ahead,

One day in despair as I lay underneath the Earth,
I watched a flower bloom as if the dirt was giving birth,
And somehow that simple, beautiful thing filled me with relief,
Because I remembered what I had forgotten; the power of belief,
And so I worked my mind out with imaginary weights,
Pulling together all my decent personality traits,

When I emerged from the tunnel which had been my home for years,
The Black Horse turned towards me but I pushed away my fears,
I vaulted out the ground, erupting, full of determination,
And when my enemy charged at me it’s red eyes were damnation,
I stood my ground surrounded by the power I had built,
It was almost upon me, head down, stampeding at full tilt,

I grabbed it’s mane and pulled myself upon it’s black behind,
I straddled it, it bucked around, but I paid it no mind,
Riding that Black Horse day and night I could feel my power growing,
And I thought of the crops for the first time in years and planned to get them sowing,

Tenaciously I stayed glued to that rampaging Beast,
And after a while I found that all of it’s stampeding had ceased,
The Horse’s coat was changing to a lighter shade of black,
My family filled in the tunnel with Earth and I knew I’d never go back,

The barren trees were growing again with glorious green leaves,
I owe that to my faith and to the power of belief,

Flash forward and I sit perched on a marvellous white Stallion,
And around my neck I wear a sparkling Jaguar medallion,
The crops are growing wonderfully - better than before,
My Horse is tremendous and proud; red-eyed and dangerous no more,

My family is still hungry although the crops are sprouting well,
And we do not have the money to replace our farmhouse which had fell,
In the chaos caused by my decision to try and get more than I had,
My curiosity had led to greed and had drove my psyche mad,

So I ride out on the road again and promise I’ll be back,
Owning this great beast I’ve tamed I drive her down the track,
We get to town, and I climb down and lead her to the stables,
Nostalgia running through me I’m not sure if I’m quite able,

‘She is a magnificent beast! I’ve never seen anything like her!’,
The stable-keeper says, his voice an awestruck little whisper,
I walk back home in golden light, not worried for the miles,
Find myself surrounded by a wolf-pack, their pointed teeth turned up in snarls,
My faith is strong, my mind is steel and I am going to win,
The wolves appear to sense this and they treat me like their kin,

I get back home; my loved ones say, ‘Hey, where is your beast?!’,
I smile at them and say, ‘It’s gone, now who fancies a feast?’
The gold I got for the Stallion is enough to fix the farm,
Looking at it now you’d never guess it had come to harm,

I lie in the field and feel the grass brushing gently against my arm,
Watching the birds cruise above me with their everlasting charm,
And now I never fear the dark, or creatures of the night,
As long as I stay in this lovely place, the Horses will always be white.

I’d been standing underneath the sun for hours in the heat,
When I came upon a largish piece of quartz between my feet,
I sunk my pickaxe deep inside the rock which shone with all,
The pretty colours trapped within a gorgeous crystal ball,
The axe swung down a hundred times, the rock stayed the same shape,
And in my own frustration all that I could do was gape,
The colours of the magic quartz were hypnotizing me,
I’d noticed others resting underneath the nearby tree,
But determined, covered in cold sweat I continued my work,
To try to find the treasures which inside the rock may lurk,
When twenty days had passed I realized I had not eaten,
But by a piece of stone I was so sure I’d not be beaten,
I’d had no sleep, was miserable and fearful of the creatures,
Alone and in the dark now I could recognize their features,
But instead of marching home I bent and carried on my chore,
Beating away forever like the sea upon the shore,
A year had passed, I knew deep down I’d made no actual progress,
But I told myself the rock was smaller so as to defeat stress,
I looked around and noticed I’d been on my own some time,
The hammering of the pickaxe like some old forgotten rhyme,
And as I slaved on foolishly with rusty worn out tool,
I wondered why on earth I had been doing this at all?

Amidst a tenebrous hurricane of chaos,
I have hunted through the dark to find what I have lost,
And at last my path is laid out in front,
So I shall stay alert, always savoring the hunt,

I am ending my transformation as sovereign of the dark,
Arming myself with the confidence to finally make my mark,
I will help guide foreign spirits through the lurid mist,
Protecting them from horrors that most beings have thankfully missed,

I’m almost there, I don’t look back, I’ve come so very far,
Now my spirit is almost fully submerged into the Jaguar,
I move so stealthily through corners nobody can see,
I understand the chaos; no one’s ventured there but me,

I have made a choice to be the guardian of the night,
Some of you can sense me I’m the one who kills the fright,
My spots reflect the darkness, circles of a deep pitch black,
They help remind me of the things to which I’ll never go back

I would drag myself through clouds of Lava
To search a thousand years and Find
The one who once ensnared my Mind

Even after seven years Palaver
My soul awakens from the Dead
Remembering the tears she Shed

I realized she had been willing to Wait
And I conquered the demon but I was too Late!
My head set off multiple savage Alarms
The memory of taking her into my Arms
If you read this I have no doubt you know who you Are
And at least in spirit I will not be Far
I know you have shut yourself off from my Face
But I will always be waiting
Just in Case

The Earth spins full circle in a Rhombus pattern;
Closed mouths scream at me in the bright bright Dark;
Gravity rises and Saviours loot houses;
Sing Angels Herald the Hark!

Horrified children play happily with Blunt Spoons;
While the Six-Legged vehicles swarm around me;
Cats chasing dogs through Bolted Doors;
It seems the lost have found me.

This March has stolen charms for me with Purple Money;
From wounded ears softly I Cry “Phel! Phel!”
Under soft Moonlight the sun Chuckles Blankly
The Slugs hunt me under their Shells.

Grass grows on my skin whilst I lay on Earth’s scabs;
I try and crawl Backward smashing head-first into Walls;
An Empire has collapsed into Everything today;
Ever Silent the raven Calls

I fall on my stomach and look at the stars;
Circles shift past me revealing their sides;
I know I need poison to mend my no-body
This Desert has too many Tides.

The Earth spins full circle in a Rhombus pattern;
Closed mouths scream at me in the bright bright Dark;
Gravity rises and Saviours loot houses;
Sing Angels Herald the Hark!

The Lizard came to find one day;
That he had gotten Stuck;
For the Ladder seemed longer than ages of Heavens;
And the Bottom was plagued with Muck.

Many a Skin had he Reluctantly Shed;
By falling to the Bottom;
And for each rung he Grovelled up to;
No notice had he gotten.

One day, exhausted, he fell upon;
The second Holy rung;
“Climb up, for paradise awaits!”
The familiar voices sung.

And then it seemed a Lifetime after;
He had Climbed unto the Promised Land!;
But pleased as They were to see him there;
He found it horribly Bland.

And so after having a brief look around;
He got back on that friendly Ladder;
And as every step he took pointed down;
He felt himself grow Madder.

Another Skin came tumbling off;
But determined to climb he still looked up;
And Poised upon that Ladder still;
He thought about the Drop.