Constrain me
Lock me away
To save me

In your mind
Or closet
Or under your bed

Packed
To find me
When you shake
When you scream

Store me
And forget me
So when you expect me least

There I will be.
Carnivorously.

Holding you down

Your flesh between my jaws
Seething
Breathing
Through teeth

ǝsınbsıp-ɟןǝs uʍo ʎɯ ʇsoן ı uǝɥʍ
ʎןɟ oʇ uɹɐǝן ı pıp ʎןʞɔınb puɐ
ʇǝǝɟ ʎɯ ʇobɹoɟ ı 'ʇɥbıu buıǝq
ʇǝǝɹʇs ʎʇdɯǝ uɐ uo ǝuoןɐ pǝɔuɐp ı

ɹǝʇʇǝq sıɥʇ ǝʞɐɯ oʇ ǝɹısǝp ɐ ǝɯɐɔ
sɹǝʇʇǝן puɐ sǝʞoɹʇs ǝɥʇ ɟo ןןɐ ɥbnoɹɥʇ
ɯɹoɟ oʇ uıbǝq ןnos ʎɯ ʍɐs ı puɐ
pǝɯɹoʇs sʇǝןǝʇɐןd ǝɥʇ ǝɔuǝןıs ןnɟʇɥbnoɥʇ uı

pɐǝʇsuı ʎןɟ sʍoquıɐɹ ʍɐs ı ʇnq
pǝɹ pǝןq pooןq ǝɥʇ ɥbnoɹɥʇ puɐ ssoɹɔɐ
ǝbɐɔ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ɟןǝsʎɯ pǝsɐǝןǝɹ puɐ
ǝbɐd ǝɥʇ uo ʇno ʇɹɐǝɥ ʎɯ ʇnd ı

ǝɔɐןd ǝןzznd sʇı uı ʇı ʞɔnʇs puɐ
ǝɔɐɟ sʇı uo ʇı pǝddıןɟ ı uǝɥʇ
uʍoɹɔ oʇ ǝoʇ 'ןǝǝɥ oʇ pɐǝɥ
uʍop ǝpısdn ɯǝod ɐ ǝʇoɹʍ ı

There’s nothing left where this iron man once stood
At one time beasts roamed the body that’s breaking
Firefights and lacerations fed monsters
Circumstances unavoidable had known it would

Jasper always fought for what he thought should
Be wrestled for. The bruises and bullets.
His thoughts went somewhere one time but it seems
There’s nothing left where this iron man once stood

Liberty spikes, leather coats did what they could
But they couldn’t protect the Wilde man’s mind
The thousand foot stare is setting in now
Circumstances unavoidable had known it would

There’s nothing left where this iron man once stood
The Man broke the punk, Jasper Wilde gave up
Circumstances unavoidable had known he would

{Canary can you tell me,
What has broken your leg?

Why do you squander here
Your black feathers over my eyes
And your beak in my back?

Can you tell me what has silenced you?}

A deathly screeching was heard that night
Pop
Pop
Sirens call me closer.
Staring into the eyes I see in the canary
Its chest opened wide
Its legs like screws twisted
And the rain drenched the body.

{Tell me raven, is my death for told?
Why do you pluck out my eyes
And guide my hand?

Where are you prepared to take me?
Why does your song beguile me so?}

A deathly silence was heard that night
Step
Step
Precipitation like fire crackles around
Perhaps we shall stay here
The air is full
We can taste the ocean

I cannot move, for you have taken my sight
Tonight, stay here, share in my strife

Oh raven, stay close to me
Oh, if I fail, you feast in the morning

[An Echo]
I dream of a day when we are immersed in light
From head to toe no darkness will surround us
And the shadow will be sent home.


{Emptiness.}

Every time we stumble, fall on our face
There is a shadow staring back at us
But it is only in the lighted space

It strives wildly to keep apace
It freely pierces the inclined ear
Every time we stumble, fall on our face

When you fall in the dark there’s no chase
You may feel qualmish, the night knows your hubris
But numbness is only in the lighted space

A failed soul isn’t worth their own case
But if we make battle, there’s chance with “Trust”
Every time we stumble, fall on our face

Each time we sink in with quickening pace
We must lift ourselves out, scrape off the rust
Because failure's in the lighted spaces

Take solace in this as you run your race
Think you are disheartened, face down in blackness?
Every time you’ll stumble, fall on your face
But death is only in the lighted space

If you’re still in torment, keep going through hell.
You must be doing something right.




[The sound returns]
I dream of a day when we are immersed in light
From head to toe no darkness will surround us
And the shadow will be sent home.

I still remember the moment you let go
Wearing my navy, Notre dame gold encrusted sweater

I remember how your eyes glistened and glazed over
The hazel jewels covered in a breath of dust
As you clutched up for someone to save you
To save us

And I stood there silently quaking
Unaware of the rivers flowing behind your melancholy cheeks
That poured out from your eyes and your mind, your heart and your breast
And spilled all over the sanctuary floor, abandoned

How you clutched my angst splattered teen t-shirt
How you concealed your suffering subtly in the crest of my shoulder
How I was so thankful for your strength
And the open hole that held our hearts in that moment

Sealed in the next
After one last embrace as one
And the bones broke as they were slammed against the pestle
As we separated and molted, given new skin
And put on the same monochromatic, dull eyed smile
Just as the day we met

And our hearts hurt, our lives reformed
Our paths split
Our eyes cold
And we were *fine.

Grit on the asphalt makes my tires come ablaze
Hitting the century mark as a siren's wail lights up the sky in front of me
I've passed everywhere but nowhere, seen the place where Holly Wood died
On a mission to go anywhere to get anywhere, I'm going the distance tonight
The roar of the engine makes my soul cringe with heartfelt adrenal anticipation
And the wind becomes visible as my senses flood together
I've got Black Sunshine in my rear view and the zero-zero miasma
Dragging at my heels as I push eighty-five/ninety down interstate ninety itself
The competition moves from my way. Is it courtesy or for their own health?
The sea of headlights behind me allows me to go stealth
The clock is my enemy, my only friend
This elixir is sour, but serves to defend my sanity
Smurphett screams around the corner, one hundred-forty miles to go
Cars traveling my path, on the side of the road, bodies crushed like tin
Racing death, racing hell, forsaking safety
Racing midnight towards dawn, just to see who wins.