they have arrived
the little girl in her pretty Sunday dress
and hat with red ribbon
laughs in delight as her new puppy jumps
pretending to nip at her hand
and the parents smile from the park bench
as a breeze whipped in Summer smells
and a far off awakening storm brings a coolness to their skin
the tops of the trees look like waves of blending greens
from above
and the sensing of change awakens the resting birds
they join others in flight to the south
and from a higher view the shadow is seen
like a moving wall
making it's way down the coast
the Sun disappears
mile after mile
inquisitive heads turn to the darkening skies
and one by one discover this is no storm
not shadows cast by clouds
but of something else
they have arrived
and they have sealed off the Sun
twenty eight thousand years would pass
before their return
to claim this prize for themselves
the lifting of the seal
they inspect their new home with anticipation
and fascination
a little one runs past a park bench
two frozen sculptures are huddled together
and two more appear to be playing
in timeless wonder
the little one turns to it's elders
hoping to gain approval
to pick up the pretty hat with red ribbon

demons took you
haunted by your innocence
and the power of your convictions
I am saddened by this life
unfulfilled
I mourn for what we lost
perhaps a Saint to be
a reflection of God's will
your light shone bright
through the cracks of hell
I trust you reside in the purest of light
that your soul shines in another
and that I shall again witness
the beautiful smile of Anneliese

each night they come
tapping on the wall
voices in the hall
laying their hands on my shoulder

is it touching life that they need
will they follow me til' death
will they covet my last breath
growing weak as I grow older

what awaits my simple soul
will they welcome me with tears
will I wander lost for years
in a realm where hearts are colder

what light you let me see
I know you'll wait for me
I set my spirit free
to the whispers in the dark

we got drones in Jersey
drones in LA
are they from the future
are they here to stay

are they comin' from the sea
or comin' from the sky
were they made in deep space
or is it just a lie

re-engineering
that is all the rage
shake us up
shake us down
keep us in a cage

they're playin' us like fiddles
where can truth be found?
multi-million dollar jets
but they can't shoot one down!

what a huge calamity
what a sorry joke
this mega scam will soon unfold
like pepsi vs coke

don't buy it!

In shallow pools of reflected thought
a child's face
sad and transparent
floats above a wheatfield
thick in bright yellow
amidst a flock of still crow

a shadow dressed in tattered pants
and a paint-stained shirt
brings a smile of recognition
to this lost child
then fades with a sudden gust of wind
the crow take flight
the wheat bend and sway into consciousness
our hearts are numb with the beauty of his pain

her voice danced on the Summer breeze
carried over the garden
and graced the stillness of the catfish pond
"Suppers' ready"
one more fish, I thought
just one more
but I could almost smell the beef stew
and the apple pie Mama had coolin'
fish can wait
sometimes the best part of fishin'
is gettin' hungry
and no one in Clarke County
cooked a finer meal than Mom
I closed my eyes as I walked toward the house
reminding myself to save room for pie and vanilla ice cream
Dad's gonna be proud of the 4 sizeable cats I caught
a strong breeze and the sound of window blinds slappin'
brought me home again
a storm was comin'

why is it that the best dreams are always interrupted?
sliding the window shut, I can still smell that apple pie

the days seem shorter
as I draw near the end of those scheduled for me
these 9 to 5's
few surprises await as the routine becomes routine
fewer goodbyes
fewer laughs
fewer cries
and fewer smiles
funny how you notice what the children do not
that they are drifting into their lives
further from yours
but this is the pattern
the destiny of the aging soul

to bed early
comedies aren't as funny
baseball seems less relevant
the aches are more and the heart is growing cold
wrapped in the pain of indifference
I will miss the sound of that alarm
and the need to move
but I shall always have the Sun
and the Sea
to harvest a few words now and again

who knows the dream of the solo captain
night surveyor
ocean drifter
following his heart to the center of the Sun
riding consciousness  past stars
where darkness is true
sailing his soul onto shores
where only he has tread

come with me my love
and you will know beauty
only glimpsed at the edge of thought
only wished at the pinnacle of ecstasy
only cried for at the moment of death
it waits for us
here in the crosswalk of our imagination
where dreams collide

Lips move silent to treated voice
technically altered in a vacant room
smiling clueless to clueless drones
their thoughts suppressed since mother's womb
manufactured superstars
dressed and fed by faceless greed
their lives a myth
a stagnant dream
without a truth on which to feed
resist with me
this vacuous realm
lifeless words and endless trite
follow closer to the heart
on vapor trails of tear's twilight

they beckon me
they whisper as I sleep
touch my shoulder
with unseen fingers
sending waves of dead static through my soul
the after
the in-between
the remaining energy
reaching for some connection
to their mortal coil
they find solace in my belief
a ground for their whispering pulse
the remnants of a soul once lived
the static that refuses to leave
completely

I sense a distance
almost imperceptible
but there
like the silent breath
of a ghost
or the cry of a dying star

something has left your smile
your touch
a second split into timeless truth
your hesitant kiss
sends a thousand shards of ice through my heart
the light that once flickered
is gone from your eyes

It was at the 7th bridge
that I decided to jump
perhaps the cold night added incentive
or the fact that I had lost my favorite letter from you that day
the last one you wrote
before you found your own bridge
or perhaps 7 is just my lucky number
I was after all
the 7th child born
though my mum was told not to have more children
so you see
all my time here was cake anyway
I'm not tossing anything away
I'm just making things right

what is it about life that makes it so
difficult?
perhaps it's the inability for some of us
to store our baggage in a proper place

hush now hush now
don't you speak
Sammy's gonna' make sure
it don't leak
quiet now quiet now
don't you chat
snap your pretty neck
you ***** little rat
go to sleep go to sleep
what's your line
shoulda' made copies
for the news at nine
hit the road hit the road
my sweet little rose
no one ever listens
to dancers and **'s
knock em' dead knock em' dead
one two three
leave it all to Lyndon, Edgar and me

the Mothman Cometh in dead of night
who knows his pain
who knows his plight
left unchecked in their faulty haste
born in pools of chemicals and waste
a slip of nature
he roams the skies
with wings of a condor
and red blazing eyes

it is said he had vanished
when the bridge came down
but I believe he remains
at the outskirts of town
I have been to Point Pleasant
and his presence I feel
on the river
on the streets
in the steps of John Keel

they are only flashes
yet they hold the power to bring me to tears
or laughter
I see faces in them
moments that are burned in my soul
fifty four years ago
looking for something to do on a hot July afternoon
I would peak out the window to make sure
Mrs. Mabolis (she was a portly gal) was on her porch
drinkin' her tea
prop the front door open  
go to the edge of the kitchen
and run full speed down the hallway
out the front door
across the porch
hitting the top of the stairs
and launching myself out far enough
to clear the 10 steps
land on the concrete sidewalk
perform a fake roll to make it look
more death defying than it actually was
and look up to see Mrs. Mabolis
grab her chest in terror
poor Mrs. Mabolis
the day I nearly got run over by a 55' Chevy
playing 'Hide & Seek'
likely took 10 years off her time on this planet
I'm sorry Mrs. Mabolis, I truly am
but you were my go to!

fell out of a tree once
truly should have killed me
but opened a **** on my forehead
that changed the front of my bright white t-shirt
to candy apple red
snuck up on Mom through the back porch door
waited for her to turn around and see me
while she was frying chicken
when she finally did
the fried chicken took flight from the frying pan
to the dining room
sorry Mom!
luckily, Mrs. Mabolis wasn't on the porch for that one

there
in the pause
somewhere between sleep and awake
between night and dawn
the shadows move
and the voices begin
is it in my head
or just another reality
am I home or just visiting
what is real and what is imagination

I drop like a sack
off the back of a truck
and hit the mattress
felt like a dream
had me hypnotized

(RIP: Bob Welch)

and in these bleakest of nights
when my self analysis
third person psychobabble
holds minimal sway
i run from the dark
into the black
into the pitch
where i am safe
from all light
all thought
until the passing
the silent storm that rages
will end only with time
or submission

the Brickhouse is where you'll find them
it was here long before the school
it is where Jane lived
and where she died tragically
poor Jane
locked in the attic like a dangerous animal
and her only crime was that her mind slipped
so the story goes

and find them I did
I could not hear or see them until I viewed
what I had on film
there I found them dancing about
up and down the stairs like children playing
I made my way to the attic door
but could not go in
the weight of sadness filled the air like dense fog
I knew Jane was here

on film I hear their voices
distant...
sometimes it is children laughing
sometimes they mock me
''He knows Persley'' a gentleman sarcastically states
after my reciting the first line of
'Roses are Red'
at least one did not appreciate my being there
"Get Out" she demanded
and then the sad voice pleading as if lost in the wood
"I Hear You" she cried
"I Hear You"
is it Jane?
I will return
to hopefully gain trust in those that reside here
for I must know
more

In the back of Brewsters
where I always sit
watching the ladies dance
weaving their way through the gray cigarette smoke
clicking curves as the strobe light dances with them
Gloria serves up the intoxicating mixes
and teases the ***** hopefuls
who know they haven't a 'snowball in hell's' chance
the music thumps as Manny pummels
another joker who had a bit too much
as the hour of closing draws near
she slides by my table and smiles an invitation
I've been noticing her noticing me
as her 3rd partner heads to the head
leaving an opening for a 4th
not one to pass up an opportunity
I move onto the floor and quickly
work up a sweat that blends
with the rising inferno
'Smooth Operator' ends the chaos
and our bodies are now one
speaking in sighs and moans
of what is now obvious
this dance will not end at the end of this song
Gloria winks again as I grab my jacket
from the back of the chair
the smoke parts as we make our escape

Solemn faces hold their wrath
forewarned the day would come
silent fell their thoughts of fear
no match for hearts turned numb
they walk together this final day
as one a stoic mass
no smiles, no hope, no words to say
tears lip blades of grass
in the hills they settle
the hour draws near
time to tell children they are loved
a faint breeze is blowing
the Sun shining clear
birds swoop and chatter above
there are moments of reflection
before it is done
eyes towards the heavens do peer
a thud in the distance
a cloud chokes the Sun
it is only the silence they hear
hands are joined and heads are hung
to pray for their rebirth
spirits seek the light of God
in their final day on earth

Onward cried the empath
whisperer of ghosts
through a maze of darkness
through layers of time
and static thought
his mind open and protected
by the belief of his followers
onward through the blind prejudice
of the unmoved and unwilling
into the realm of calm
into a sea of silent dreams
until at last the path is clear
the droves of disbelievers
turned away
by the powers of pristine consciousness
here
past the walls of centuries built by doubt
the words of a kindred spirit
the response of a lost soul searching for light
"I hear You"

the rain beats endlessly
upon the ears
it snakes it's way inside this house
wrapping itself around the grief
and drenches us with sadness
the Sun resides in a far off place
where smiles await
where joy finds refuge
in time
the storm will remain here
will darken these rooms
and blur the days ahead
what light finds it's way
will only serve to cast shadows
i will understand her grief
i will wait beside her for the cloud to unwrap itself
for she is her father's daughter
and i know so well
this storm

I lurk beneath the Sea
and hide among the sharks
when storms are fierce
and batter all who swim
against the waves
the blanket of the night
is home to my seclusion
fuel for my illusion
where I awake
when others pale
where I thrive
when others fail
to see the beauty
in silence

A garden grows this darkened wood
shade by ancient Oak
clouds be thick
dirt be moist
where breath of Sunlight choke
plentiful the plant does grow
in pitch of night it feed
on onion root and wayward toad
this plant of human seed
cloned and honed to grow as wheat
what science has begun
hide away these darkened wood
should mother's soldiers run
with fires racing cross the open
seizures of this land
our dna from yesterday
shall rise from death of man

and when the last of the shadows climbed into his bucket
the little boy that no-one knew
whispered something to them and carried the bucket to the ocean's edge
he was seen by several setting the bucket in the water as a wave approached
then turning towards the other children along the beach
and motioning them to come
which they did, some 60 or 70 of them
suddenly drawn to this boy that no-one knew
he looked back to the sea
at the crest of the horizon
a dome shaped craft that dwarfed any vessel known to man
emerged from beneath the waves
suddenly hovered silently above the beach
darkening the skies
it was there but a moment
and was gone
when the astonished crowd turned their gaze towards the young boy
he was gone
as was their own
December 22nd, 2112
seventeen minutes and 21 seconds before the Sun died

Sorrow casts a lazy eye
through a passing cloud above
remorse has found a place to rest
longside my one true love
bitterness whispers
then fades gently
into the 'sea of truth be known'
she gave her soul to one unwilling
and fed that love alone
the color of the dream she knew
whilst I slept deep and blind
kept hampered by a governed heart
afraid to beat in kind
yet in the waking hour she shines
enduring light through great despair
I'd gladly trade the days I've left
to kiss her honey hair

How beautiful she is in fires light
flames dance sparks off black marble eyes
lips red and dripping sighs
draw me to bosoms salted taste
we lay first locked in passions moan
inferno of sweet lovers heat
she whispers her undying love
bites flesh
rakes nails along back's skin
I swim in swirling shadows
fall dizzy into the altered state
breathless in the bloodied rapture
the addiction that is she

I've grown weary of this madness
weak from all this pain
should I turn from the truth I've seen
or revel in the rain

I've grown old from all this sadness
long before my time
they stole my youth and innocence
neutralized my prime

I've grown feeble in my anger
bitter in my grief
the truth is there for all to see
yet we turn in disbelief

The innocent are shunned upon
the guilty walk away
'I'm just a patsy' is our plea
since that bleak November day

I had a dream
but this wasn't the typical
awake and forget dream
I remember everything
and as people in the dream were reacting
I knew exactly why
I knew their motives
their plan
It involved a military style evacuation
of a large office building
appeared to be the Middle East
I entered the building and walked through a long corridor
I came to a family of 5 or 6 that were standing at a side exit
afraid to leave. They finally exited and I saw what they feared...
a man who appeared to be American with a rifle about 20 yards ahead on a hill looking at them. He let them leave. I lied to him as I thought he might **** me since I wasn't quite sure who I was in this dream...who's side I was on
It concerned my Grandfather
he had asked me what day I was born
and the alcohol of choice at my birth
I replied that there was no alcohol due to the fact
that my Grandfather died from alcohol poisoning
In fact, my Grandfather died of pneumonia and refused to
take alcohol to help his condition. Why did I lie? How did the lie help?
Instead of killing me, we became friends and took a walk
we came upon a large home with a number of people
sitting on the porch
Two young teenagers, totally out of place began chatting about
an American cd they had purchased
The boy had buzzed blonde hair and a blue eagle tattooed
on his cheek
The female looked very close to his age and chatted non-stop
about her cd
An older female with long dark hair in a long dark dress pulled a rifle from under her side as she was laying on a bench or possibly the ground and pointed it at my friend
Not sure why they let me leave, but I told him I would return...
end of dream
the entire time I knew I was in a dream and reacted as I would, thought as I would and felt as if I was viewing the entire dream through a pair of VR glasses...or was it a dream?

any ideas?