Unknown
Cannot be shown
Will not reveal
What cannot be known

Glimpses in youth
Hands in the frame
Frozen in fear
Of what cannot be named

Black like smoke
Obscurely defined
Dreams and reality
Share a thin line

We sleep at the base of the mountain
Waiting for the path to be made
Through slopes and trees
Great boulders and caves
Back to the summit above
Yet as we wait the mountain grows
Every day whether an inch or a foot
Extending further into the sky
Unreachable and unattainable
We were promised soemthing greater
Than all those who came before us
And yet here we are
Below their accomplishments
With no way forward and no path up
To the summit of the mountain
We begin to understand
Something is missing
Something hidden or obscured
Whether by time or by purpose
And without this knowledge
Lost as it may seem
The glory of the summit
May never be revealed
So let us search now
Within and without
A hunt unending beyond what we know
That we might come at last
To stand atop that mountain
The birthright of us all

Ever westward
Beyond hills and seas
Through vast forests
Of towering trees

Across great oceans
Yawning and deep
To northern coasts
Where cold waves sweep

Through storming tropics
And island chains
To the waving grasses
Of sun soaked plains

Over colossal mountains
Snow laden and grand
Until thus returned
To the shimmering sands

And when this journey
Is finally complete
With aching back
And calloused feet

Can all then rest
under a brave new sky
Where men no longer
Must one day die

A fabled cathedral
Built on the Deep
Unknown to all
Save by sleep
Where wanderers gather
From ages far flung
To rest and to listen
For the Bell to be rung
And when it does toll
Will they worship in vain
Not for lack of faith
But for lack of great pain
To atone for their sins
Do they sleep yet awake
In hopes they they might
Their father's curse break
But the Deep rings its call
So somber and sweet
Like the call of a siren
That no man can defeat
Sweetly it whispers
Perfumes to the mind
In an instant to change
In a moment to bind
Those souls of wanderers
Beneath the stars of sleep
That they might trudge and fall
Into the maw of the Deep

As indeed the first one did

I have to go
Down to where
The darkness grows
Where ash and smoke
Billow to the sky
Where the moon weeps
Though none know why
The place where spirits
Aimlessly wander
Hoping for the return
Of their sons and daughters
And though to this place
I wish not to go
I know that I must
To one day show
That the soul may triumph
Over the growing dark
That great men return
From great quests embarked
So close your eyes
And when they open again
I will have returned
A braver man

They aren’t here anymore
But I see them
Towering, lumbering
To and fro
Ethereal and methodical
Carrying on
Their motions like clockwork
As if they had never left

Perhaps they never did
Or perhaps something more
Is at play in this strange,
Strange place

Where once was
All we know
Now all is dust
We have to show
Yet soon in time
Will green things grow
Flowers bloom  
And Waters flow
The world we had
We used to know
Will come again
Before we go

Do you recall
The way it was before the fall
When the world was new
And the stars shone bright
Two lights to govern the day and night
Beneath the heavens
In the East thus made
A paradise with gold inlaid
To be the throne
That would carry the crown
All creation before bow down
That is, that was
And again it will be
Despite the fruit of that ancient tree
The fallen one
And our since fallen state
Yet one will come to change that fate
So hold out hope
Dear child remain true
For the one who saves has also saved you

Hot coffee
Rain streaming down glass
The sun is silent
Filtered by looming clouds
The lights outside are accentuated
By the dull grey sky
Yellows and reds
Come and pass endlessly
I haven’t opened my book yet
And I don’t think I will
No I think instead I will dream
After all what is a story
But someone else’s dream
Written down to share with others
This thought puts my mind at ease
I think instead I will dream
And share it only
With the one that I love

There is a heaven always on the horizon
Distantly visible by the naked eye
From any place on the surface
One can see its shimmering towers
Swaying and sparkling
As if in a mirage
They say long ago someone left
On a lifetime journey to reach that place
It is not known or said
If they ever arrived
But all who tell the story
Collectively hope
That such a thing could be done
Even by a mortal man
Some that tell this tale
Said he was aided along the way
By one of those great beings
Terrible to belong yet full of grace
When his knees fell to the earth
And he could go on no more
They carried him to the gates
Of that distant heaven
Whose true nature before or since
Has never been beheld

I've heard the words
Of other minds
I've crossed the boundary
Where mundane defines
All that we are
And all we do
We know nothing yet
Pretend we do

I ask you to stop
For a moment and pray
No memorized whispers
You learned on Sunday  
Stop what you're doing
Take your time alone
Admit to your weakness
You're worn to the bone

It's ok to be weak
But pray to be strong
It's ok to be foolish
It doesn't take long
To feel a fire burning
However faintly so
To know that when praying
You are not alone

A simple prayer
Prayed earnestly and often
Has far more power
That one could ever know

Mist and thick fog swirl
Green vines and plants
More vibrant than after rain
Eternally fruiting and pure
Insects buzzing and flying
Landing and waiting
Content in the shade of the trees
Light from above
Vines and leaves descend
Twisting gently into a crown
Which places itself on my head
From where it came I did not see
But I know by who it was sent
And I know that it is good

It must be the last winding cobbled road
In all of the city

It weaved in and out of old stone houses
Built long before there was any pattern
Or structure to the town's layout

Rarely these modern days
Was its surface graced by human feet

Its lampposts were still gas lit
Though who maintained them
I could not say

As it surely wasn't the city

Nestled away tight and narrow
As the European cities of old

The cobblestone path
Bared no resemblance
To the wide macadamized streets

Of the ever burgeoning city
Which has all but forgotten

This old and sacred place
Where the lonesome memories
Of distant ages yet linger

I'd love to trust you
But I don't know how
Too many times I've trusted
Just to be let down
So forgive me Love
If I seek distant now
But in time I hope


I'll come around

Pick me up; stain my soul
With gold and lacquer
Make me whole

Skillful hands gently piece
Me back together
So the pain might cease

Accentuate my fatal flaws
With golden Ichor
Expose my cause

That I might at last be renewed
And despite my faults
Perfection exude

Oh, I've loved
And oh I've known
That I have died
And I have grown

Into something new

The tracks behind
And the way made clear
I know where to go
I have naught to fear

On this journey long

But oh my heart
And oh my head
They say it'd be better
If I was dead

But how little do they know

That the I, I was
Died long ago

I'll be here again with you
Soon and forever
For the Earth is ours
And always will be
Indeed we will walk
Together once more
Beneath a new sun
That will not set or fade

Three to come
And one to go
One to return
At end of snow
One to watch
To be a guide
One last to judge
All men in time

Fallen in and twisted
distant eras and future space
Collide and break apart
Infinite ends and beginnings
Fold in on each other
Creating a grand kaleidoscope
A final flash of all things
The last display of an artful creation
Before the darkness returns
From the distant gulfs
In which it has waited
Since before the birth of the stars

Quol Del-Amonroth
Of mist and slumberstone
The stars guide me to you
Though you I've never known

And though you are but shadow
Your days of glory past,
I feel that if I find you
I'll claim what I now lack

So silver sun and blazing moon
Guide my feet that I may soon
Stand before those hallowed gates
Where once I stood in sleeping state

To enter in, for none have tried
Since long before the Earth had died
Now in that sleep beyond all death
Awake again that I might rest

Flower; petals
Bloom and fall
Let me see
I know naught at all
Let the world
Wash away
The waters flow
To distant bays
The sun burn bright
And fade away
The sky then dim
To black from grey
And let me rest
My soul to stay
The night to come
At end of day

There is a place
I know not of
Silent whispers
Of the deep above

A desire to return
Though to where unknown
In our hearts and minds
This feeling has grown

How can we express
What is hitherto unseen
What images and forms
Can our consciousness glean?

Who are we that we feel this way?

Certainly not the things
We thought ourselves to be

But something more

There is a great sanctuary
Foremost of the earth
Whose great tower silvery white
Rises over all creation
There within dwell those
Who from before all things
Had a purpose chosen for them
From within them those as well
Does one come who claims
Not only to be one of them
But one over them all
A creature in the guise of a man
One too chosen for a purpose
To rend them all asunder
And cast them to the wind
The sanctuary will burn
And its glittering tower crumble
Yet it will be rebuilt
Not of stone, but in hearts
Until they are in one accord
The sanctuary will not be complete

I walk at night
From where I came
To where I’ll go
I cannot say
Sometimes I feel lost
Without a home
A wandering soul
On the roam
I think of love
And who loves me
Who I am
And who I’ll be
When at last
I’ve figured out
What this thing
Called loves about

Any man can create chaos
Few men can create order
But one must be a God
To bring the two in balance

Walk this way
We cannot stay
From where we've come
So many days

The light does fade
That place we stayed
Once brilliant there
Now long decayed

Yet on we go
We do not know
What place we'll reach
Or seeds we'll sow
So ever onward
Will we go

Until the sun does set
Never to rise again

The colors of the evening sky
Run like waterfalls to the earth
The midnight dark follows them
But will never catch them
For it does not wish to

Through the still dark
Celestials peer down
Filling the night sky
With distant calming light
And curious eyes gaze back

Intently watching
Those gods they named above

The wastes are my home
Beneath a dying star
My family lies safe below
Of them I am no longer

In this way must it be
For hope to live
Beyond the coming night

Forgotten have we or just ignored
What futures for us the past has stored
What mysteries wait to be discovered
What treasures hidden to be recovered
The world is wide and the skies are vast
Looking inward for truth won't last
The world is not within, but without
So raise up your head and choose your route
Down the path of life, short though it be
It's worth it in the end if you ask me

The waters were deep and still
As far above as they are below
Waste and void were  all that was
Darkness was over the Earth
A lone spirit stood above the waters
Silent for but a moment
An eternal moment before time began
Then the spirit spoke
And darkness undid itself
The waters split apart
To reveal dry land
The sun, moon and stars
Blinked into being
The Earth and the planets
Their orbits began
Trees and plants sprung
Up from the dry ground
The fish and the birds
Filled the seas and the sky
Animals roamed
The newly formed land
All was complete
But this was not enough
That spirit then planted a garden
To the east of the river
And in that garden by hand
Formed a new creature
In the same way of that spirit
Was the new creature made
Unlike any other beast of the field
That creature was man
The lord of the earth
That creature called man
The companion of God
Two that are one
In the way of their maker
Who Himself is called Us
When He spoke before time
Upon His creation
God looked and was glad
For all was good

Oh that we will return
From here East of Eden
Back to the mountain
Of the Lord our God

Meager roads
Naught but dirt and stone
Paths not tread
Since distant moans

Were howled from the cliffs above

Now the howling
From the wind in the brush
The bleached out bones
Of those who rushed

So swift to meet their ill fate

I will take my time
In reaching that place
That cardinal city
Of splendor and grace

I ponder if it still stands
For someone who has no where to go

Through the boughs and leaves
Valleys and crumbled rocks
Does the wind echo

Vaguely articulate
Beneath the moonlight
As if whispering

The telling of stories
Buried in distant ages
The comfort of belonging

To a place that is our own

Yonmir of Yune
Sang an odd tune
As he strolled on down to the shore

He watched the waves roll in
Felt the salt on his skin
Ever humming that melody

He tried with all his might
Beneath that Raven star's light
But alas he could not overcome

He looked back his last
Forgetting his past
And walked headlong into the sea

With that strange tune still on his lips

Until his lungs were full

The flames of half melted candles
Gently sway in the sanctuary
The air within is stagnant
Undisturbed since the last bell tolled
Perhaps she waited for him there
Years, even centuries but now she lies
With those that came before her
The cycle ended, he was too late
Or perhaps too early, for now he must wait
Until she returns to him there
In the distant eons to come

The Flame is dull
Calm hues of lilac and amaranth
Soon it will diminish
And fade into the west
Great voyages and hunters
Will seek it in distant lands
They desire it covetously
That they may reignite
The first city below
Little do they know
The flame is not what they think
And its forced return
Will doom them all
For the moon looms ever closer
It quivers and shakes
Eager to break apart
And rain down upon the earth

Sometimes I get lonely
Though I know I’m not alone
It’s hard not to feel this way
When one’s so far from home
But all it takes feel
Whole and at peace again
Are the simple little things
You do for me now and then
A laugh, your bright smile  
Or a simple good night kiss
Strange how such little things
Can turn sadness into bliss
So no matter where I am
Whether far away or near
Know that it’s the little things
You do that I hold dear

A hollow bell resonates
Over cliffs and ridges
Slick with an oily rain

Few remain to hear it
And those that do
Are wary of its toll

Nonetheless they answer
The call from that tower
Overlooking the sea

Though they know it not to be their doom
They suspect it in their hearts

I’ve seen the heavens below
In the waters calm and cool
The stars and planets I know
Reflected in springtime pools
But strange it would seem
On a cloudy night
That the stars would mirror
Their lack of light
A breeze blew gently
As I sat on that shore
Thinking to myself
That there must be more
So to test my theory
I waded into the stars
I walked past Venus
And in my hand held Mars
How strange is was
Perhaps is was late
But it felt in my hands
Like the stars had weight
As I leaned back
I began to float
Held by the stars
Like a celestial boat
There I did sleep
A great time and yet still
For to wake is to dream
And what’s dreamed is what’s real

Who am I that I might know
What mystery might ebb and flow
Great wonders made to my eyes sealed
Things long lost to be revealed
Who am I what should I be
What weaknesses do others see
Surly none more than I myself
A detriment to my own health
I cannot alone myself make due
The world I've found is cruel too
Yet one through another clasped my hand
To lead me to the promised land
A grueling journey of great mistakes  
Weakness, loathing and sulfur lakes
Past that smoke in billows high
I open my eyes and face the sky
To a brighter vista than any before
A glittering pure and sun soaked shore
Where I might rest for a time and a half
To sing and sit and dance and laugh
Renew myself and stand once more

For the road goes ever on

Familiar yet foreign
Strange new forms
Repeat a set dance
That I've known since birth

Amid faint phosphorescence
Do they emerge each night
From the rocks and snowy crags
Of a solemn wispy mountain

Ever streaming downwards
Loose in their movements
Until they reach the forest pools
Where spring first arrives

Oh how bright, the lifeless stars
Hurdling through deepest space
The planets swirling about them
In an elegant orbital dance
And though live they do not
Perhaps on some grander scale
They are the very instruments of life

A Life we can scarce imagine

H̢e͘ļ͘͢l̶ǫ̸̨?̨̕͞
I know you're there
I can feel you
Though we are separate
What ***͏̢id̵͢es҉ us
I am not sure
Just stay with me
If only for a while
I do not wish to be alone
The satellites whisper "Rèj̀͡҉o̸i͢c͠e̛"
In a broken f̷útù̢r͢è̶̕
That they too may fall
As the a͔̮̲̜̙̹ͅn̶̛̦g̸̠̖̠̺̲͖͙͉͟e̱̘͖̱̝̪l͚͈̩̝͕̟̹̀s̞̰̦ once did

Cheap imitations
gods in name only
Shuddering in fear
Of the God among them
Conspiring with themselves
To remove him from the world
Yet unbeknownst to them
This was his very intent
For God himself to come down
And does at the hands of men
That men might be free
To return to their ancient station
Among the very stars

Encased in ice
covered deep in snow
Tombs and chambers
In shadow below
Lying in wait
Or at least so it's said
To come in the night
those things that are dead
I know those stories
To frighten the young
But if only they knew
The darkness to come
The things that they fear
Pale to the sight
Of the undead creatures
Encased in the ice
Though they lie dormant
The ice will soon fall
And the curse spread once more
Dooming us all

I've died twice
With a third death coming
Just on the horizon

I eagerly await it

For this death
Will bring more life
Than I have ever lived

Footsteps echo below the midnight sky
Inquisitive eyes pierce through the very moon
Down from where the scent of blooming lilies
Descends in the night floating on gentle clouds

A dream, a memory
Seen afloat
Down river banks
And sides of boats
Long lost and lonesome
But ever cheerful
It carries on
Never fearful
For it knows to be
Is still to hope
Thought it may not see
The greater scope
Yet it floats along
On a path unknown
Hoping to be
No longer alone

The future is gone
Lost somewhere
Between the thought and space
The Digital realm elusive
Present around us
But nowhere to be found
Some there within reside
How many none can say
Perhaps all of us
And reality
Just an illusion

Heaven Awaits
Those of pure heart
And yet few remain
Whose hearts can withstand
Such a mighty pressure

Alas
At last
To the ground am I laid
My end thus reached
My body decayed
To the forest floor
Like the leaves of autumn
Do I lie in wait
To sink to the bottom
Below the black dirt
And roots of the trees
To sink ever further
With acceptance and ease
Back to Creation
From where I once came
Returned to the Earth
And thusly reclaimed