Despite the path that she now walks,
She still can feel the moon's embrace,
Through dreams her mind forever stalks,
In search of her forgotten race.

Despite the years that have gone by,
She still can hear the hunter's call,
His song a dark and loving cry,
To join him where the shadows fall.

Despite the pain that she has felt,
She still can sense the beast within,
Beyond the hand she has been dealt,
This force that tempts her heart to sin.

Despite the things that she has seen,
She still can find the magick trail,
Through all the places she has been,
Back to that world beyond the veil.

Her body is her journal,
Her body is her life,
Her body is her monument to misery and strife.

She writes about the memories,
She writes about the pain,
She writes about the loneliness and tears that fall like rain.

Her ink holds all the secrets,
Her ink holds all the lies,
Her ink holds all the truth she knows when all that she loves dies.

Life is but a river- ever flowing on its course,
Surging ever forward further from its humble source.

Hope is our great vessel- the best ship that we can sail,
Taking us along our quest to find our holy grail.

Faith is the horizon- ever just beyond our reach,
Promising a new world full of answers we beseech.

Luck is simply tidal- ever changing with the flow,
Rising up and falling back much sooner than we'd know.

Love is our last lifeboat- ever there when times are rough,
Saving us from drowning when at last we've fought enough.

In all that we have been through,
And with all that's come to be,
Your heart has always been true,
As you've walked this road with me.

The journey may have been long,
And we've many miles to go,
Your soul has ever been strong,
As we've learned all we now know.

Through all the pain we've endured,
And each dark day that we share,
Your kiss has kept me assured,
As you've shown how much you care.

Though life has brought us laughter,
And more than our share of tears,
Our love shines ever brighter,
As we go on through the years.

They often said she had a soul much older than her years,
a force that dwelled within her heart that conquered all her fears,
a wise and gifted creature born of suffering and strife,
some noble fallen angel who had watched her all through life.

They often asked how she could paint the colours of the soul,
a talent that she never claimed was in her to control,
a simple canvas painted by her crude and untrained hand,
conveyed both thoughts and feelings the whole world could understand.

They often sought her guidance on their own attempts at art,
a task she felt unworthy of deep down inside her heart.
a challenge just to find the words each one would like to hear,
unable to relay her thoughts on all they held most dear,

They often found her hard to fathom when they came to meet,
a sense of something hidden in the shuffling of her feet,
a different personality to what they would expect,
but her work and reputation were enough for their respect.

They often thought about her when they looked at all she'd done,
a life spent in reflection in the shadow of the sun,
a stranger in the world though never far from any friend,
forever cloaked in mystery until the very end.

His shadow still walks next to her,
the wind still calls his name,
the days have gone by in a blur,
but still she feels the same.

She curls up with his memory,
for now lost in her dreams,
for all that they had planned to be,
and never would it seems.

His shadow still walks by her side,
the loss still haunts her mind,
the months have drifted with the tide,
no peace for her to find.

Her heart will learn to trust again,
in time her wounds will heal,
in days to come she'll love again,
despite how she may feel.

His shadow still walks close behind,
the tears less painful now,
the years lost in the daily grind,
she's learned to cope somehow.

She smiles a bit from time to time,
a little more each day,
a glimpse of something once sublime,
that will return someday.

His shadow still walks next to her,
the pain in shadow too,
the distant days lost in a blur,
a dawn of something new.

Her life is very different now,
all darkness in the past,
all that she feels is love now,
and the faith that it will last.

His shadow still walks in her stead,
the world would hardly know,
the pain still kept deep in her head,
but time has helped her grow.

She now has love to keep her strong,
a partner through life's game,
a son they've both sought for so long,
who shares that long lost name.

Her path was clear and filled with light,
Her thoughts were pure and ever right,
Her love secure and passion bright,
Her faith a beacon through the night.

She dreamt of life in other lands,
She wished for more than empty sands,
She looked for hope in other's hands,
She found nothing but broken strands.

Her heart now cold as falling snow,
Her love crushed like the grass below,
Her soul turned frozen long ago,
Her smile now simply there for show.

Close your eyes to all you've been- forget all that you know,
Free your mind from darkness and let hope begin to grow.

Place your hand within mine- let our energies combine,
Feel the world retreating and the pain within resign.

Follow me through shadows- find the light that we all seek,
Keep me in your thoughts and hear the soothing words I speak.

Wake up to the morning- greet the dawn of this new day,
See the world in colour not that sad and lonely gray.

Breathe in the scent of freedom- clear the worry from your mind,
Walk tall amongst your kinsfolk and enjoy the peace you find.

Share your life with others- help them conquer all their fear,
Protect all those around you and forever hold love near.

Live each day within the light- don't let the darkness in,
Lead by your example and absolve yourself from sin.

Change the world around you- only you can claim this power,
Rest when all the work is done and dwell not on the hour.

Take comfort when the end is near- you will not be alone,
Remember I am with you and have shared in all you've known.

He looked back on the past,
To all those years so far behind,
Back to those distant memories of dreams he’d one day find.

He reached back to the past,
To where the future still seemed bright,
Back to those long lost fantasies that all would be alright.

He knows back in the past,
In those young and simple days,
That if all had been much clearer they could have changed their ways.

He thought back in the past,
In that one-time family home,
That all would be so perfect even though they had to roam.

He screams back at the past,
For all the hell he has been through,
The hardships he has suffered far from all that he once knew.

He smiles back at the past,
For all the years that have since passed,
The bad times he survived and the good not soon surpassed.

He turns back from the past,
To this life he has since built,
This state of mind he lives in free from pain and without guilt.

He walks back from the past,
To this place where he touched ground,
This land of new beginnings where true happiness was found.

He watches her sleep peacefully,
Her warm chest rise and fall,
Her kind heart beating rhythmically,
In answer to love’s call.

He thinks back to the darker days,
His cold and lonely youth,
His time spent in a silent daze,
Lost in depressing truth.

He dreamt of love and happiness,
A world where pain could end,
A life without the emptiness,  
Where broken hearts can mend.

He looks back at this fragile form,
This angel in disguise,
This creature that could tame a storm,
With nothing but her eyes.

He curls up close beside her now,
To gently draw her near,
To feel her breath so soft and slow,
And drift in love so dear.

Alabaster island in a sea of hate and doom,
Silver streak of lightning in the dark and dreary gloom,
Crimson rivers flowing to the cold and lonely ground,
Drifting fog of silence slowly creeping all around.

Empty voices whisper in the shadows of the night,
Tunnels in the distance ending in unbroken light,
Hopes and fears receding into shapes before unseen,
Shifting thoughts of solace that at one time seemed unclean.

Rocky tracks sketched out across the alabaster shore,
Stormy seas have calmed now and lay silent ever more,
Shadows laid to rest within the warm forgiving ground,
Dreams take shape in sunlight as true peace at last is found.

You fill my days with hope and light,
You keep my love always in sight,
You hold me close throughout the night,
You help me bear life’s weary fight.

You guide me in your special way,
You heal me with the words you say,
You save me from myself each day,
You prove that true love cannot stray.

You play the music of my heart,
You paint my soul’s immortal art,
You know our paths could never part,
You were the one right from the start.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, EVERYONE!

Each day is masked in deja vu,
the songs repeat their plays again,
an end that still seems far from view,
so much now lost for other's gain.

Each day a mirror of the last,
reflecting all she'll never find,
an endless fog just drifting past,
absorbing all she's left behind.

Each day rolls by from dawn to dusk,
consuming all she has to give,
a hollow and dejected husk,
without the time for her to live.

His mind is full of secrets and his heart consumed by lies,
His soul forever wandering as Mother Mary cries,
Destruction in his wake and naught but pain and hurt to find,
A demon to the world around despised by all mankind.

His voice knows only anger and his eyes show no remorse,
His hate like fire burning fuelled by hell’s eternal force,
Damnation is his mission and disaster his true cause,
A nightmare incarnation baring fangs and golden claws.

His form is known to many though he goes by different names,
His reach is far and varied ever growing through his claims,
Corruption is his promise to this world in his control,
For he is the beast in all of us- the shadow on our soul.

We’re born into this world without a choice of when or where,
We learn from those around us through their harm or through their care,
Though dreams of greater things will give us hope for better days,
Our path is often guided more by luck than other ways.

We’re taught that we have free will and though that may well be true,
We still depend on faith and hope to show us what to do,
Though some may claim to rule their lives and set their destiny,
The truth is that we’re all the same in man’s ignominy.

We’re born and we will die with little say in either case,
Too soon to change the world and far too late to win the race,
Though time is never ending all our lives are but a blink,
Our days are but a journey that ends sooner than we think.

The games we play ‘tween me and you,
defined by all we have been through,
our wants pervert each oath we make,
our needs defend each rule we break.

The nights we spend ‘tween me and you,
desired by all we thought we knew,
our bodies locked in dark embrace,
our hearts abandoned in disgrace.

The words we say ‘tween me and you,
defiled by all we feel and do,
our souls corrupted by each lie,
our dreams disrupted as we cry.

The life we share ‘tween me and you,
defaced by all we hang on to,
our bond nought but a fantasy,
our love nothing but fallacy.

The days grow ever shorter,
The nights forever long,
The shadows of the past return to sing their tortured song.

The past never forgotten,
The future bare and bleak,
The dream of love died suddenly in one ill-fated week.

The years a lonesome battle,
The pain too much to bear,
The road has brought him to a place that no one else can share.

The further he has travelled,
The more he’s felt the loss,
The guilt a cold reminder each time he sees a cross.

The time now fast approaching,
The journey near its end,
The damage far beyond the realms of hope or faith to mend.

The panic slowly fading,
The cut is warm and deep,
The voices calling out to him to close his eyes and sleep.

The final pages turning,
The ending almost sweet,
The darkness brings him peace at last upon that silent street.

Love is born and starts to grow,
Beyond all ways our hearts could know,
Though times may change and youth may go,
True love shines now and ever so.

Love is blind and without fear,
Beyond all doubt and ever dear,
Though hard to see it’s ever near,
In every smile and each warm tear.

Love is deeper than the sea,
Beyond all realms that we could see,
The force that binds and sets us free,
Reserved for those like you and me.

She has no fear of monsters,
That dwell beneath her bed,
Nor all the other creatures,
That haunt her fragile head.

She has no sense of danger,
To tell her when to stop,
Not shy of any stranger,
That life may chance to drop.

She has no thought of weakness,
To block this show of force,
Nor will she let the darkness,
Divert her from her course.

Though sunshine floats above her head and warms her loving kin,
this cold chill ever stays with her deep down beneath her skin,
their smiles and cheerful laughter seem beyond her mortal reach,
this darkness eating at her heart has harsher things to teach.

Though fate has often kept her from the hardships of her kind,
her path has long been plagued by tears for those she left behind,
the love she’s felt is transient and changes with the tide,
this fear however stays with her forever at her side.

Though stars have tried to light her way through all those lonely times,
the shadows still call out to her and panic ever climbs,
these thoughts are always present keeping her in their control,
this sorrow ever fills her mind and drains her weary soul.

They watched her from the darkness,
just counting down the time,
a picture of pure calmness,
her countenance sublime.

They followed her in silence,
still waiting for their chance,
a moment more in patience,
before they start the dance.

They talked to her In whispers,
beyond all she could hear,
a secret shared like vespers,
just as her time drew near.

They took her from the shadows,
another lost young soul,
her eyes no longer windows,
into the heart they stole.

Today will be a brand new day,
A chance to do things your own way,
To forgive all that they might say,
and put all doubt and fear away.

Today will be a brand new start,
A chance to see beyond the art,
To learn the secrets of your heart,
and let the past at last depart.

Today will be your time to shine,
A chance at last to draw the line,
To seek more than just the benign,
and set the world to your design.

There is no star to light your way,
No peace within your mind,
No comfort in the words you say,
When freedom’s left behind.

There is no whisper in your ear,
No glint within your eye,
No spark to keep your friendships near,
When beauty is a lie.

There is no sun upon your skin,
No hope within your soul,
No release from your mortal sin,
When truth has lost control.

There is no touch upon your hand,
No love within your heart,
No warm embrace to help you stand,
When lovers drift apart.

He stands in cold reflection,
a statue in the night,
his life naught but deception,
with no escape in sight.

He has no moral compass,
no inner voice to guide,
his heart knows only darkness,
there is no love inside.

He feels the shadows calling,
each whisper soft and sweet,
his body slowly falling,
just dust beneath their feet.

Her heart once meant the world to him,
her smile all he desired,
but time has let the fires dim,
their passion long expired.

His trust once meant so much to her,
his faith all she could need,
but time has let the pages blur,
their story gone to seed.

This dream once meant true love to them,
this chance all they could want,
but time has let the world condemn,
their future not to grant.

Sometimes I want to run away,
Just leave all this behind,
To escape to another world,
That no one else can find.

And yet deep down I see the light,
Just what I know is true,
To swear beyond all realm of doubt,
That I belong with you.

Sometimes I want more than I should,
Just one more chance to live,
To taste of that forbidden fruit,
If life could but forgive.

And yet I need no more than this,
Just for all that we share,
To stay right here where I belong,
With those who really care.

Sometimes I want to end it all,
Just close that final door,
To stop the endless march of time,
And sleep forever more.

And yet I know that all is now,
Just as was meant to be,
To stand by all the vows we spoke,
That still hold true to me.

Sometimes I want to scream out loud,
Just let it all flow free,
To release all the hurt within,
So all the world can see.

And yet I know you share my pain,
Just one more sign of love,
To be as one eternally,
Just like the stars above.

We fight on with persistence,
No matter what the cost,
Our minds give no resistance,
No matter what is lost.

We strive for independence,
No matter who the foe,
Our souls seek no repentance,
No matter what they know.

We stand against the carnage,
No matter what we see,
Our hearts escaping *******,
No matter what the fee.

I used to be so innocent,
I used to be so sweet,
I used to be so small and weak,
Just crawling round your feet.

You used to dress and wash me,
You used to hold my hand,
You used to be the strength I lacked,
Before I'd learnt to stand.

I'll always be your baby,
I'll always be right here,
I'll always need you with me,
To help me face my fear.

You have to see I'm growing,
You have to feel the change,
You have to let me take a risk,
Although it may feel strange.

I'm learning more of who I am,
I'm learning how to stand,
I'm learning to be more grown up,
I know you'll understand.

His fangs have slowly dulled with age,
His wings have long been cut,
Yet still he feels the ancient rage,
From when the gates were shut.

He thinks back on the happy times,
Still dreams of better days,
The cool breeze of those lofty climbs,
Before this bitter haze.

His mind awash with memories,
The pain beyond compare,
His face a mask of pleasantries,
The truth so few could bear.

He prays each night to start anew,
Still hopes for something more,
To end the torment he’s been through,
So that his soul can soar.

Walk within the shadows that are calling to your soul,
Give yourself to darkness and surrender all control,
Let the spirits bathe you in the love that night can bring,
Free yourself from conflict and just let your black heart sing.

Walk within the shadows that have ever been with you,
Listen to their whispers and remember every clue,
Understand each secret and the path ahead will clear,
Trust your sacred family to conquer all you fear.

Walk within the shadows that once followed in your wake,
Feel much closer to them with each catching breath you take,
Find the peace and comfort that you never thought could be,
Stay here in the darkness where no one but us can see.

Her days drift by from dawn to dusk,
Beneath the sun’s emblazoned husk,
Each night awash in cold dismay,
Just dreading the approaching day,

She thinks back to her younger days,
Behind the warm rose-tinted glaze,
Each hope a long forgotten dream,
Just ripples in her memory stream,

Her path has brought her far from home,
Beneath these skies where demons roam,
Each battle fought for nothing real,
Just shallow wounds that cannot heal.

She looks towards the coming days,
Behind this dark depressing haze,
Each day another pointless blend,
Just waiting for her time to end.

My logic is a crutch in all the chaos that I see,
A guiding light into the dark that ever follows me,
A secret world far from this life that no one else can find,
My haven in this hell of man kept safely in my mind.

My faith is what defines my life and something none can shake,
A different beast from dogma that no mortal man could make,
A secret force inside of me that shapes the world I see,
My saviour from the past and source of all I've come to be.

My love is something few will see and even less will share,
A gift and curse bestowed on those for whom I truly care,
A secret kept from those that would destroy what lies within,
My heart and soul protected from all but my dearest kin.

Few have had the life you've known,
The tainted soil from which you've grown,
The things your eyes have since been shown,
The hell to which your soul was thrown.

None could now be who your are,
Without each deep and painful scar,
Yet still your eyes gleam like a star,
Despite all that has been so far.  

For all the years that have gone by,
With every tear you've dared to cry,
Through each new road you've had to try,
Your heart at last has reached the sky.

And here you stand for all to see,
The master of your destiny,
A hero for the world and me,
Remembered for eternity.

Walking down this path of hate,
A darkness that will not sedate,
This nightmare no one could create,
So far from that once peaceful state.

Now sinking in this sea of shame,
A cloud of hurt that has no name,
A coldness where there once was flame,
In feelings I can’t seem to tame.

Descending in my own despair,
This broken soul beyond repair,
My heart dissolves each thought and care,
To leave me with no love to spare.

So here I lay beyond remorse,
Where destiny has run its course,
My time to go back to the source,
Beyond all realms of human force.

Incomplete right from the start,
An empty space within each heart,
Two souls without some vital part,
Forever doomed to live apart.

Two shadows drifting through the years,
Both changing shapes and shifting gears,
Without true love to ease their fears,
Alone and lost inside their tears.

Until one day the story changed,
The pages turned and rearranged,
No longer were their hearts estranged,
Joined through these vows they have exchanged.

Complete at last and truly whole,
Two lives combined within each soul,
Their paths now shared in one patrol,
True love at last in their control.

I feel the shadows close to me,
Their cold embrace so dear to me,
This love they hold for only me,
A feeling I thought lost to me.

I hear the shadows calling me,
Their secrets only shown to me,
This portal crafted just for me,
A mirror to a different me.

I let the shadows follow me,
The darkness now consuming me,
As pain and hurt abandon me,
A shadow stands where once was me.

Love is not a shade of skin,
Nor can it ever be a sin,
It has no form nor written guide,
But comes instead from deep inside.

Love is not just man and wife,
Nor can it spoil or end a life,
It has no hate nor prejudice,
The simplest soul will know of this.

Love is not defined by ***,
Nor are its needs quite so complex,
It is a force beyond compare,
A gift for all who can but dare.

Love is not all that we see,
Nor is it just a fantasy,
It is the heart in all our kind,
Just waiting there for us to find.

My heart is but a grain of sand,
a broken shard of something grand,
dispersed across a frozen land,
for reasons none can understand.

My soul is but an empty shell,
forged within the fires of hell,
born of dreams I cannot tell,
enslaved by fears I cannot quell.

My life is but a cruel disguise,
a role no mortal would reprise,
a play the very gods despise,
this torment hidden in my eyes.

Acolyte of ancient kings,
Student of the primal scribe,
Sacred bird that ever sings,
Words no man can now describe.

Offspring of this fledgling realm,
Sailor of the modern way,
Faceless masters at the helm,
Shaping out this brand new day.

Seeker of the inner truth,
Writer of the dark within,
Chronicles back to my youth,
Memoirs for my future kin.

Stay calm and safe and in my sight,
You cannot leave my side tonight,
For without you I have no hope,
And here alone I cannot cope.

Stay soft and warm and in my heart,
We cannot fall or drift apart,
For without you there is no me,
And nothing left for us to be.

Stay young and strong and ever bright,
I cannot live without your light,
For without you there is no home,
And ever more my heart will roam.

Today we celebrate your day,
The truth in all the things you say,
That smile that shows the best of you,
The hope that ever sees you through,

Today we think of all you've done,
The journey that you have begun,
This joy and love you bring us all.
The faith that keeps you standing tall,

Today we join our hands and pray,
The Lord to bless you in his way,
With gifts no mortal man could find,
For one so treasured by her kind.

Grey clouds fill the black above,
Darkness reigns where once was love,
Hatred taints that peaceful dove,
These lives no more fit like a glove.

Black skies turning slowly red,
No time to sleep but think instead,
This swollen cloud that fills my head,
As shadows cross this empty bed.

Red horizon turning blue,
A time for change not just in hue,
A chance for life to start anew,
A brand new dawn for me and you.

White clouds cover all I see,
The future laid in front of me,
Behind me ancient history,
Those distant days of misery.

Stars beyond that cloudy sky,
Far above where angels fly,
Shining down on you and I,
To help us give love one more try.

Today we greet a different sun,
To shine on you all through this day,
An orb of light made just for one,
To keep the world going your way.

These words are my gift wrapping,
They contain my love inside,
A treasure without trapping,
For it has no need to hide.

I share this special gift with you,
To celebrate this wonderous time,
A friendship and a bond so true,
To make each moment feel sublime.

A dedication to a friend,
In hope you'll have a joyous day,
Across the oceans, this I send,
On this your very special day.

Two souls entwined across the years,
Their smiles outweigh the count of tears,
Their strength combined against their fears,
Til doubt forever disappears.

Two lives now joined against it all,
Their hearts responding to love's call,
Though often backed against the wall,
They stand as one and never fall.

Two hands now linked for all to see,
To stand as one eternally,
Their shadows dance in ecstasy,
Towards the light of destiny.

The rising sun pervades my fear,
The danger growing ever near,
The loss of all I hold most dear,
This future that is so unclear.

The midday sun decays my hope,
The strength that once could help me cope,
The will with which I scaled each *****,
That final strand of fraying rope.

The setting sun consumes my sight,
The cold embrace of primal fright,
The dim remorse of carnal blight,
This dark descent into the night.

The rising moon now lights my way,
The warm invite to come and play,
The words no mortal man can say,
That final glimpse of my last day.

The midnight moon invades my dreams,
The book of life ripped at the seams,
The shadows of those distant screams,
This door to hell that ever gleams.

The setting moon soon closes in,
The end of all I once called kin,
The paper remnants of my skin,
That bid farewell to mortal sin.

She follows every order,
Would never cross the line,
She cannot leave their border,
Nor let her true light shine.

She longs to have her freedom,
To be all that she could be,
She cannot bear to hurt them,
Giving up her destiny.

She waits within the shadows,
Scared she’ll disappear in time,
She hates the truth that she knows,
That this all should be a crime.

Here am I- alone and scared,
A wanderer still unprepared,
A hero with no battles won,
A shadow waiting for the sun.

Here am I- forever lost,
A sacrifice not worth the cost,
A star devoid of energy,
A soul without a destiny.

Here am I- in need of love,
A demon cast from high above,
A whisper of an ancient sound,
A blight upon this sacred ground.

To live is more than just to breathe,
More than a sword to wield and sheathe,
Though battles rage at every turn,
I will not let those fires burn.

Life is a dream- a world of chance,
So take my hand and join the dance
And make each step a star to count,
To bring our love into account,

To live is more than just to be,
Especially when you’re not with me,
Tis more than just that empty bed,
Where still you lay your precious head,

Life is true love- a world for two,
A place where I can be with you,
To spend our days as man and wife,
And make this one a perfect life.

Storm clouds darkening with dread,
Hanging here above my head,
Hiding from the skies they’ve fled,
Floating on the fear they’re fed.

Darkness looking for its kind,
Shadows roam each maze they find,
Digging through my weakened mind,
Leaving nothing safe behind.

Empty visions roaming free,
Dreamless void all I can see,
Hollow shell that once was me,
Alone forever more to be.

Crimson cloud devoid of light,
Drifting shadow in the night,
Sacred soldier of the right,
Heart and blade prepared to fight.

Carmine ripples in the flight,
Darkness fueled by noble plight,
Saved the grief of pain or fright,
One less remnant of this blight.

Scarlet rain on fields of white,
Painted canvas glowing bright,
Ascending through this ancient rite,
No more a simple acolyte.