A sonnet for the hopeful
where true love never dies
A sonnet for the truthful
where hatred never lies

A ballad for the beautiful
wherein sadness never cries
A ballad for the sorrowful
wherein happiness is full of sighs

An elegy for the successful
whenever they deign to speak
An elegy for the deceitful
whenever they choose to sneak

An anthem for the bountiful
whatever they may claim
An anthem for the dutiful
whatever they may maim

A symphony for the resentful
whoever they may see
A symphony for the respectful
whoever they may be

why don't we slow down and watch the tempest
whirling so bright
the shattering of refrains
and the dimming of light

let's leap together through the beat of the drums
and tap our feet in merry dance
as we tumble and laugh
may we ourselves stumble upon a chance

as the fallen don't rise
and the risen begin to fall
let's sway together in step
at the haunted dinner ball

while the wind stirs the silent rushes
and the weeds sway from side to side
watch the ends of the reeds dip into the water
rustling slowly as they hide

listen to the tune of the grasses
swaying slowly to the beat
bending down over backwards
to make way for our feet

why don't we slow down our pace
watch the sky fly by
after all, it's never to late
to change our weary fate

You* would have to smash their skull open
Gouge their brain out
Scatter it into pieces
Reach out, reach in
Climb into their skin
Wear it; take it
Breathe the air they breathe

Feel the blood coursing through their veins
Feel every beat of their heart
Reach through their ribs and grasp it
That thundering, pounding heart and
Make it beat with your own hands
Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump with every squeeze

Inhale every gasping, shuddering breath
From lungs crushed by every compress
Snap their wrist with the force of your grasp
As you take their pulse
That thrumming, faltering pulse
And make it your own

You would have to dive into their head
Step straight through delirium
Into the twin windows of their soul
Take those lovely, lovely eyes
Between your fingers
And hold them up to look through; each
The ultimate magnifying glass
Pierce their clarity straight through
As you refract the light away from you

Aqueous humor, vitreous humor
Flowing down a waterfall of tears
Tears of emotion? No
Tears running through flesh
Perfect fissures of imperfection

Can you hear it?
Thudding spasms
As they leap; a drowning fish
Choking on their own life
While the red crimson scarlet pours out in rivulets
So thick you could wade in it
Fanning out into a surreal image
A ****** halo
A renaissance painting reimagined in flesh
A living, dying mural

You would have to listen to every whisper
Each shaky inhale
Every wheezing, hoarse exclamation
Every shuddering gasp wracking
Their frail, jittering frame
As you pump air out
As you force air back in
Push down hard and feel; memorise
The rush of air as it leaves their straining lungs

Because then, only then
Will you be able to see through their eyes
Breathe their every breath
Feel their heart beat
Make their life-
A wrapped present so, so fragile
-your own

Yet
For all that you try; all that you do
You will never
Never
Understand their mind
Never
Understand their view
Never
Understand *them

The chariot of lost hopes
clatters down the cobblestones
of broken graves and broken hearts
Flag fluttering listlessly down the boulevard
The horses weary and drooping
their hooves heavy as air

The chariot of lost hopes
drifts unmoored
Its weeping driver long gone
faded away into the dark mist
headed to lands never sunkiss'd

The chariot of lost hopes
never makes a stand
Hopes dreams ideals slip past like sand
The whistle of wind itself
is never heard where this chariot lands

The chariot of lost hopes
is always near
If one listens carefully
with growing fear
The sound of empty hooves
gradually becomes clear