times square, 1975. leather-
jackets and spandex criss-cross under blink-
ing bulbs. a **** in blue fur spits at a
taxi that didn't stop. a man in a
black suit and red tie brings his briefcase in-
to the $1 peep show. a hustler
orders 3 a.m. bacon and eggs at
his favorite diner. a tourist takes
a picture of a stiletto-heeled
stranger and she smashes his camera
into the curb. profanities harmon-
ize with car horns. a wanna-be poet
scribbles on a coffee-stained notepad as
he walks hurriedly by. snow begins to
fall. an old man with a cane vanishes
into an alley, behind a flutter-
ing curtain of white. a shivering boy
from across the river tries to choose from
a parade of smiling red lips the one
that will make him a man. an elegant
woman in a green coat takes a drag off
a virginia slim, casually ex-
haling into the ivory-spotted
night air. a street magician loses his
rabbit and watches helplessly as it
hops in front of traffic, the snow reflect-
ing off headlights and sticking to its fur
like glitter.  it stops between cars, then boun-
ces again, reaching the other side, a
quiet winter miracle on the deuce.

raise a glass to them
those who love to give love make
a happy christmas

he stopped to rest along the creek and watched
the water slide by.  he closed his eyes and
the trickling sound soothed his ears.  breathing out,
he opened his eyes in time to see his
breath dissipate into the sharp air.  clean
winter sunlight touched his cheeks.  he noticed
a large stone at the edge of the water.
two smaller stones rested on top of it.
there was a space in-between the two stones.
he wondered if a third stone was once there.

and then he thought that the things we miss when
someone is gone, the things that come to us
in the quiet moments- the moments when
you watch the snow fall outside the window-
that is the essence of the one who has
left.  it is what they have left behind for
you to find, in the space between the stones.

in the old garden
moonlight on the stone statue
head moves as you pass

Clifford was having a tough year
money was tight, couldn't get in the clear

by the time it was autumn
he'd reached rock bottom

nowhere else to turn
and nothing left to learn

he decided to consult
a man of the occult

who sent him on a quest
to help him manifest

the riches he desired
but it all backfired

now there's demons in control
asking for his soul

all because he messed up the spell
and opened up a back door to Hell

the vampire hunter and his son
were like "lone wolf and cub"
if you know about that one

well they were always together
battling the undead
through all types of weather

then one fateful eve
they could not help but perceive
the shining blood moon meant war
they were not naive

outnumbered they were
and survival wasn't assured
but they battled and brawled
until it all was a blur

but when the smoke cleared
it was not as they'd feared
for all the fanged beasts
had been successfully speared

the hunter then turned to his boy -
victory! they both were about to enjoy
but the hunter saw something that made him a wreck
two tiny red holes in his child's perfect neck

for his son had been bitten
and so it was written
this would be his final dawn -
he was incurably stricken

fate was something they could not ignore
so they waited until the dark was no more
he vowed to always remember his son's final night
as they walked, hand in hand, into the sunlight

she wanted a new face
because everything in the mirror
looked completely out of place

everyone told her she was so lovely
but despite all of that
she wanted to be just a little less ugly

the doctor said, "your visage, i can improve!"
so he gave her a mask
that she could not ever remove