Stop trying to pass yourself off as something you aren’t.

Quit the acting and the expressions and the distant looks and low voices.



Quit trying to make people think you are something dark and majestic.

You are an unsightly bug.



You may have everyone else fooled,

But you CANNOT fool me.

I know you inside and out.

I’ve had to listen to the **** you spew every ******* day.



You try to make them think you are me.

You act like me.

SO BE ME.

Just tell them all what you really feel.

Even if you think you feel something else.



You can’t lie to yourself.

Or to me.



I’m gonna rip your ******* wings off, little fly.



Don’t be you and act like me.



BE ME.



Because that’s who you are.





Sincerely,

Dann Klock

Dear Mr. Bateman,
A few questions, if I may.
I have a couple dark interests,
That out loud, I do not say.

How does it feel inside,
To have someone in your grasp?
Total control through pain,
Do you prefer a scream or a gasp?

Tell me, Mr. Bateman,
How long do you make it last?
Do you fantasize about the future,
Or fondly recall the past?

Do you wish someone would catch you,
On your throne of ****** bones?
Do you strive to be feared? Punished?
Or just to shock the mindless drones?

Put down the chainsaw, Mr. Bateman.
Tell me, how do they taste?
What’s the last thing you say to them?
What part of them do you let go to waste?

What do you mean, you are simply not there?
Do you not feel for what you do?
How do you steal the pleasure,
For the sadist part of you?

Dear, Mr. Bateman.
Thank you for your time.
You helped shape the inside,
Of my own twisted mind.

It was a bright midday in June,

When he sought refuge from what plagued him.

He took his camera for a walk,

To get his mind off of Kim.



It had been three whole weeks,

Since that fatal car ride.

A screech of tires, shattered glass.

She’s no longer at his side.



Down the street he walked,

To the forest so he could see,

The birds, the leaves, the dirt, the sky,

The trees, the trees, the trees.



And though running he was,

From the feeling that befell,

He was angered when he found,

They were in the forest as well.



He picked up speed and into the trees,

He plunged ever further.

He ran blindly, faster and faster,

To escape the thoughts of her.



He burst into a clearing,

And saw a red tower, reaching to the sky.

He slumped down, his back to the brick,

And quickly started to cry.



“Why did she have to go?”

Into a ball, he curled.

He looked into his camera, pressed ‘record,’

To say good-bye to this world.



He wiped the tears from his eyes.

He rose up to his knees,

When in the camera’s bright screen,

He saw something in the trees.



He turned quickly to see who,

It was who stood there.

He was struck, dumbfounded when he saw,

Something out of a nightmare.



Silent, unmoving. Wrapped in black.

It stood tall and *****.

It charaded as a man, though man, it was not.

Pale face, black hat, collar high-necked.



He stared in horror, tried to run,

His feet would not move.

The Shadow outstretched it’s long arms,

And the feelings began to soothe.



“I know what you feel, I know why you cry.”

“I know what rampaged in your heart.”

“Take my hand, join me into the dark.”

“From her memory, you shall part.”



“Who are you,” he yelled back.

“Why do you speak to me?”

“Go on your way, dark stranger.”

“I want to be alone, can’t you see?”



The shadow hissed, a poisoned laugh.

“On my way? We’ve only just started.”

His anger sparked, but he was happy it replaced,

The feeling that had departed.



He approached the Shadow quickly.

A blow, he planned to land.

As he stood next to the towering figure,

He swung forward his hand.



As he knocked off the Shadow’s hat,

Through his mind, images of Kim did race.

He stared into the Shadow’s visage,

But it was just his own cold, dead, pale face.

A dark hall, echoes of life.

Certainty balanced on the edge of a knife.

Huge planes of glass, no sun do they reveal.

All comfort does this hallway steal.



But resonating out over the remnants of existence,

I can hear the soft notes full of resistance.

Refusing to succumb to the gloom,

A pianist plays, her music fills the room.



Every time I must walk this dark-lit hall,

I draw strength from the piano’s willful call.

Her fingers craft my sanctuary.

No longer need I be fearful or weary.



Then late one day, in a bad state of mind,

Woeful thoughts, I do find.

A friend gives advice to me.

The pianist’s face, I must see.



A the threshold of the hall, I stand.

The time to see her face at hand.

Then I realize what I don’t hear.

Her beautiful music does not reach my ear.



Cautiously, I step into the hopeless void.

Lights, life, and music it is devoid.

I creep to, and at the piano’s bench, I stare.

But the pianist was not there.



I stare down to the hallway’s end,

And without the pianist’s strength to lend,

There is no music in which I can confide,

And I know not how I will make it to the other side

Just listen around and you’ll hear the sound,
Of human suffering.
As the shadows start closing in,
The bird lies as he sings.

Broken pens and ugly ends,
And one who’s too far away.
Try to show the brightside,
But ignore the very things you say.

Horrors are real. Tell me what you feel.
Whisper what you fear.
Use those that care. Release the scare.
Cry another black tear.

Wipe it from your face. Do you want some space?
Drain disease from your skin.
One detests the father,
While another misses him.

Crooked spines and twisted minds,
And miles of open sea.
Stress and fear and anger,
Stop us from being who we want to be.

Being alone, I have not grown,
From what wounded me in the past.
The others have changed their landscape,
But pain can adapt fast.

Horrors are real. Tell me what you feel.
Whisper what you fear.
Use those that care. Release the scare.
Cry another black tear.

But we must push on.

I killed a spider today.

It was outside, alone, defenseless.

Living.

I don’t know why.
I don’t know why.

The world is huge and open and full of creatures.

Living.

And it meant nothing to me.
Just a barely hesitant pause.
And an entire world ended.

Forget your next task.

Tomorrow.

Next year.

The world ended.

Because I killed a spider today.

I saw you sitting across the world.
I knew that you would wait for me.
Behind your eyes.
What a surprise.
You showed me what I have never seen.

I never felt quite like this before.
Finally someone else acts the same.
I know you aren’t fake.
Nothing you will take.
I don’t even need to know your name.

So, my dark girl,
I will go anywhere with you.
So, my dark girl,
I will do whatever you want to do.
So, my dark girl,
I will be there no matter what you go through,
Because I’ve given up on everything,
But you.

You found me in my secret place.
In the forest, inside my mind.
How did you get here?
Through my projected fear?
A spot that no one else can find.

You spoke to me like no one has before,
In words I thought only I know.
I am blown away.
Please, won’t you stay?
I would just follow you if you go.

So, my dark girl,
I will go anywhere with you.
So, my dark girl,
I will do whatever you want to do.
So, my dark girl,
I will be there no matter what you go through,
Because I’ve given up on everything,
But you.

So, my dark girl,

I will go anywhere with you.
So, my dark girl,
I will do whatever you want to do.
So, my dark girl,
I will be there no matter what you go through,
Because I’ve given up on everything,
But you.

Watching the sun set, sitting next to you.
This is something I didn’t know I could feel.
This is so right.
Let’s not end tonight.
I can’t believe you are real.

So, my dark girl,
I will go anywhere with you.
So, my dark girl,
I will do whatever you want to do.
So, my dark girl,
I will be there no matter what you go through,
Because I’ve given up on everything,
But you.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

Driving through the dark of night.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

Go a little faster, I just might.


Turn on the light, hydroplane.

Driving through the pouring rain.

Behind my eyes, anger and pain.

Today, truly, the best of me insane.

Though stories it may tell,
Be still, my Tell-Tale Heart.
Silence the complaints and hide the truth,
Before they even start.

As I hide from the King Pest,
Please let The Black Cat see me.
Again, I’m home. Hiding alone.
Not the way it should be.

As I wait in The Haunted Palace,
In A Dream Within a Dream,
I pen a poem To_(I heed not,)
Because, where is Annabel Lee?

As I sit inside my Pit,
A Pendulum of worry over my head,
And nothing at all I can compare,
Not what I write nor what I read.

As walls of anger ***** tall,
Over my Dreamland,
I realize I’m just a pawn of The Conqueror Worm,
My only true choice is ‘how long can I stand?’

And to me that dark, evil eye,
Is the happy people I adore,
Reminding me what I have not,
While a Raven taps at my door.

As I listen to The Bells chime,
Reminding me what I love them for,
I watch afar The House of Usher falls,
Lo! Nevermore!

One day I met the devil.

He was in the trees.
But in reality, he was everywhere.

He never left my side.

He was out the window.
He was around the corner.
He was in the back of my mind.

The pale, white face.
The blank visage.
He showed me nothing.

He wore not a face of kindness,
Nor one of hatred,
But a crown he wore, for of the dark, he truly was King.

He saw nothing.
I felt something.
The Man in Black just waited.

Why try to run?
He will always find you.
He'll follow you until you have faded.

One day I met the devil.

He stood tall among the trees.

I found him inside of me.

One day I met the devil.


I shook his cold, pale hand.

Don’t look now, because I am watching you again.
From the shadows of your mind.
From the light you left behind.
I am here, forevermore.
Even as my heart lay on the floor.

I am the things you’ve done that you will never admit.

I didn’t exist to any but you.

I was there, I was real.
I felt your hand in mine.
You know that I was there in the past.
Still alive inside your mind.

Repress. Distress. Wish you could end it.
Because no matter what you think, in your closet, I sit.

The white shadow you cast on me is gone.
It recedes to dust.
Like everything must.
I was real, I know.
After all, it is your fault that I am bones.

Twist the story, tell the lie.
Tell them all, say goodbye.
In your head, I never leave.
In my own, you are all I’ve ever seen.

Why don’t you let go?
So I can too?
Release this stranglehold.
**** my thoughts,
And how they fuse with my heart.

I am the Skeleton in your closet.

And I will not leave.

In my rocking chair, I sit.
The youth is something I just don’t get.
Why would you want to be like that?
Oh, it’s time for today’s first nap.

Long hair all down your face.
Makes you look so out of place.
Spiking it and dying it blue.
Must just be a phase you are going through.

These kids never have done a day’s hard work.
Their lives are filled with perk after perk.
Just work, school, friends, pressure, social acceptance.
And the asking for help is such a nuisance!

There’s that girl with the two lip rings.
Ruins her pretty face with those things.
She could be such a good trophy wife someday.
Why would she want to be an individual anyway?

I just got back from mass this morning.
Where some ******* at an alter told me what I should be thinking.
Too bad our children never sit in the pews.
Then they might act just like all of us do!

Why do you keep getting tattoos all over yourself?
Why can’t you just be like everyone else?
Time to take my meds that the new generation made.
Boy, if they knew what it was like back in my day….

And I won’t even try what those kids call music.
I mean, if it’s not from the ‘50s then it’s not even worth it!
It makes my ears bleed, it has no quality.
Don’t care about the message, it is far too noisy!

And the black clothes that they think are so cool.
Why not wear some orange, red, white, or blue?
And for some reason you think chains are OK to wear?
People will talk about that, don’t you even care?

This generation I just don’t understand.
Living their lives by their own hand.
Standing out from the crowd, and doing wonderful things.
What good can that possibly bring?

Who are you?

I'm the one in the forest.
In the attic, in the basement.
Behind your eyes.
I'm the selfish, I'm the bitter.
I'm the disgraceful.
I'm cold. I'm uncaring.
And I don't care if you don't like it.

Who are YOU?

I'm the one people talk to.
Text, see, hang out with.
I'm the funny one.
Without a care in the world.
I'm the one who's not flashy.
But a pretty good guy.

Why are you here?

Because the spotlight is never on me.
I'm miserable, I complain.
It's about time someone listened to me.
If you won't live up to your name,
Then I will.

I hate you because you're fake.

Maybe you can fool everyone else.

But not me.

If you don't like who you are, then why don't you let them meet me?

Because I'm better than that!
Maybe I'm not who I want to be, but at least I'm not you!
You're horrible.
You just wallow in self-pity and blame everyone else for your problems.

You are just a resentful piece of crap.

Say whatever you want, I was dealt an unfair hand.

Maybe I'm resentful.
But you're not even real.

Let them see me.
The one you SHOULD be.

Would you rather be bitter, when bitterness is in your heart?
Or a walking lie?

I am NOT a lie.

Again, say whatever you want.
But we both know the truth.

*And the truth is me.

She'll watch the plane overhead,
Until it disappears behind the clouds.
His mind is back on the boarding ramp,
Back with the girl who stands out from the crowds.

At night when they lie alone on the sheets,
Of their too-empty beds,
They'll be dying just to go to sleep,
So they can dream of each other inside of their heads.

Never before have I seen two people,
Made more for each other.
When he returns to the town they know,
They will all see how fiercely he loves her.

When two are joined together, forevermore,
Nothing can keep them apart.
A million miles between them.
They still dwell in each other's hearts.

A burning red candle lights the way,
So he can find his way back to her.
When he does she'll be there waiting for him,
Never has a feeling been so pure.

When they look into each other's eyes,
You can see the sparks start to fly.
Being separated, you don't need to worry.
A love like this will never run out of time.

I wake up and feel something is askew.
Then I remember what I heard last night on the news.
Then I push it aside and turn on the TV.
I’m sure someone can deal with it better than me!
Our politics are failing. Society’s flailing.
Getting’ crushed under the weight of our own pompous detailing.
But I don’t mind, there’s nothing I can do.
I’ll just grab a bite, get another tattoo.
Maybe by the time I’m done, it’ll have worked itself out.
If it hasn’t I’ll just shut my eyes and think of something else!

I guess I could try to make a difference,
But I’ve got more important things I have to deal with.
Like the season finale of my favorite show,
A bottle of Jack to finish and a party to throw!
I guess I can try to help out, if I’ve got the time. We’ll see.
Hey, look! Beer over there is buy-one-get-one-free!
I gotta stock up for the big game tonight.
Gotta go. I’m sure you got the problem covered, right?

Drunks and liars and posers, you’re fired.
Idiots, *******, worldwide mob masses.
Outcasts that walk alone, self-loathers, homophobes.
Jesus freaks. One more drink. Intelligence levels sink.
Dumb jocks and ******. Gangbangers. Guerilla wars.
Drop the dime, save the time. Pretend you’ve lost your mind.
Uppers and downers. Immigrants, minors.
Emos and cheaters, and ******* wife-beaters.
****** ex-girlfriends, freaks, frauds, text message sends.
Alcoholics relapsing. Governments collapsing.
Oil spills, anything for thrills. Hold on, just one more ****.
Suicide bombers, no mothers, no fathers.
This world’s so ****** up, how will it end up?
I don’t wanna know, don’t wanna see.
Don’t make me face reality!

The dream I had,
That was so perfect,
Changed before my eyes.

A mutated love,
Turned to a nightmare,
Clipped my wings, the Crow can't fly.

The good times we had,
While scarce, were there.
I guess you must have forgot.

I fell for you, I loved you,
I helped you, I saved you.
And this is the payment I got.

Selfish desires,
And lie after lie,
Brought it to an end.

The hellish love,
The tainted passion,
Only truth could they send.

The falsehoods that hurt,
The more to come,
There's nothing I can do.

I watch, helpless,
As you tell them all,
That I was the one that hurt you.

You say you're sorry,
Wish me the best.
I've heard that all before.

Step over the pieces,
Of my heart,
As you walk out my door.

Now I've discovered,
The pain I inflict,
Is my only refuge I've found.

My soul is trapped,
In a whirlwind of torment.
I'll burn it to the ground.

What's left?

I know why people hurt.
I know what they do.
I now know how life goes.
I know what the world does to you.

How do you turn your back,
On what you've always known?
How do you do what,
You've never been shown?

With a life in balance,
And meaning in another,
How do you pick?
How does one even wonder?

You have to do,
What is right for you.
But how does it affect,
Everyone around you?

Would you destroy a life,
To make your own better?
What would you think of?
Would you even remember?

How would you judge,
An entire life?
Would you look at what they've done?
The wrong or the right?

But above all else,
I wonder this the most.
Would you destroy one you love,
For the sake of you both?

Questions.

What's the answer?

Welcome to my paradise.
My Hell.
So perfect.
But not so.
Happy, or no?
Do I know?
Half and half. I never know.
Never.
Supposed to be happy.
I am.
Usually.
But are we always?
Love, hate.
Anger, joy.
Always.
Never.
I don't know.

My paradise.

My Hell.

Traveling through this world so long,
There is now no difference between right and wrong.
What once was so very bright,
Is nothing but darkness, full of spite.
The Earth is harsh and cruel today.
It wasn't like that yesterday.
It was once so wonderful and free.
But not anymore, what's happened to me?

Fire should warm, but it only burns.
The world should be still, but it only churns.
Darkness grows and consumes your soul,
While light recedes to dust and mold.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Then my vision must be ******, because this world's time should be over.
The Earth's insanity from sky to sea.
But it wasn't always like this, what's happened to me?

The night is bright and the day is dark.
Our leaders are villains and the our heroes are marked.
Tell me what kind of world we live in.
Where the poor do good and the rich only sin?
The world is just wrong, from what I see,
But is it the world, or is it just me?

Somebody tell me, what's happened to me?

Traveling through this world so long,
There is now no difference between right and wrong.
What once was so very bright,
Is nothing but darkness, full of spite.
The Earth is harsh and cruel today.
It wasn't like that yesterday.
It was once so wonderful and free.
But not anymore, what's happened to me?

Fire should warm, but it only burns.
The world should be still, but it only churns.
Darkness grows and consumes your soul,
While light recedes to dust and mold.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Then my vision must be ******, because this world's time should be over.
The Earth's insanity from sky to sea.
But it wasn't always like this, what's happened to me?

The night is bright and the day is dark.
Our leaders are villains and the our heroes are marked.
Tell me what kind of world we live in.
Where the poor do good and the rich only sin?
The world is just wrong, from what I see,
But is it the world, or is it just me?

Somebody tell me, what's happened to me?

I lay alone in my room,
Waiting for the end.
Waiting for Him to come,
To take me around the bend.

I expected to see the Reaper,
To take me to the gloom.
Yet instead I saw a dove,
Flying around the room.

I watched it and wished that,
It would go back from whence it came.
And got up to try to scare it,
Until it spoke my name.

But where was the Raven?
The Reaper? The Fire? The Doom?
And then I realized it’s all the same,
As the dove inside my room.

Darkness.

Total, unrelenting, inescapable darkness.

The shadows of doubt pour in around you. Encasing you. Like your cold tomb.

Breath is haggard.

Wheezing. But the passion keeps you alive.

The numbing cold seeps in. The huge weight hovering over you, Kept at bay by merely a barrier of oak.

But it's not just you. Dozens, maybe hundreds of souls, Encased themselves in the darkness,

Just like you. All in a row with you. Less than six feet away, there are people still free, Who do not have to endure the darkness.

Yet. But it the end, they all end up the same.

Buried.

Just like you.