You slip out of bed beside me
Red satin sheets caress my skin
The blinds are barely open
Allowing lines of sunlight in

"Don't go" I beg my heartfelt plea
As you begin to dress
You kneel upon the bed-top
My face your hand caressed

"I have to go, you know the deal"
You say as my heart pains
The heavens feel my sorrow and cry
As it begins to rain

"Couldn't you tell him something
To allow for one more night
I'll love you like no other has
Our hearts entwined in flight."

You look into my eye so sweetly
Then slowly look away
"I wish that we could be together"
Your ruby lips did say

"Then leave that man tomorrow
And together we will be
I'll shower you with a love so deep
To make you marry me."

"That won't do!" she softly sighed
As a tear fell from her eye
"Our love will never be the same
We would only live a lie."

"What do you mean?" I asked her
My mind emblazoned with stress
"There's no love like we have right now
This I must confess"

"The love is spawned from wrongdoing
It fuels our passions fire
If we belonged to each other
Our love would lose desire."

"No matter what you tell me
There's no words that you can say
That will make me leave the man at home
And come to you to stay."

"This is a love that completes me
Because it's birthed from bad
It's the most amazing feeling of love
The best I've ever had."

"If you can accept the way I feel
I will come back very soon
The most that I can promise you
Is from midnight until noon."

The rain started to pour...

We all wear masks in some shape or form
Some of us have different masks
For different occasions
I am not sure if I know who you are
Your mask hides a reality
I may never know
Is it protection?
Is it fear?
It must be self preservation
If I do not use my mask
I am vulnerable
Exposed for the world to see
Some say they don't wear masks
How would we truly know?
For the most part
There are very few people we deal with
twenty-four seven
Even then do we truly know?
Our masks may be off while we sleep
But then sleep could be a mask!
So much hidden, kept safe
From being judged and shunned
What mask are you wearing right now?

The night is upon us
Stars glowing and twinkling
Like sequins on a blanket of black
The sounds of the forest
An orchestrated song
Crickets chirping, Owl a hooting
The rustle of the trees
I sit here on duty watching over our clan
The noises I am accustomed to
Would be deafening if I were not
I sit atop our campsite
The flames of the campfire dancing
Emitting a low glow of light
Shadows of the forest dance
To the song of the flame
I am alert, my senses clear
I smell the rain coming
It will be here in a day or two
My eyes trained to focus
In the low light of night
I am the night sentry
This is a job I must do
The trickling sound of water
Faintly heard from afar stream
I see every part of our camp
From my post within a tree
The campfire pops and crackles
I do not flinch to it's sound
I know the sounds of the night
I catch a scent of something
On the cool breeze of night
The scent is wild and thick
Slightly burning my nostrils
Then the sound of twigs snapping
Snapping in time to footsteps
I look in that direction
I see nothing, but the smell rises
I ready my bow and strain my eyes
The snapping getting louder, closer
One hundred paces from campsite?
Maybe more, I hold my breath
Listening through the sounds of the forest
Intent on hearing the oncoming threat
My eyes focusing on the direction
The snapping closer still
It stops, the orchestra is all I hear
I take a long breath
Then hold it as I listen harder
Bow still at the ready
I listen, I wait, I slowly breathe
Time seems to slow down almost to a stop
I peer at the direction of the snapping
Nothing seen, but I know it's there
Maybe the campfire creates fear in it
But it did not detour!
I slowly set myself comfortably
I am ready, my bow is ready
Then suddenly the snapping starts again
Only faster and heading to camp
I hear my breath, it has become fast
I hear my heartbeat in my ears
I still hear the snapping
And the sounds of night
Thirty paces from camp?
Maybe closer, I see the brush move
Shaking violently under it's strength
I point my bow, I am ready
Heart pounding, breath speeding
The wild, thick scent ever imminent
I wait for what seems a lifetime
For the invader to protrude
From the forest into view
Ten paces from campsite?
It bursts forth from the thicket
Large and tall, but fast
I take a deep breath, hold it
My arrow ready, I pull back
Feeling the muscle in my arm strain
To hold steady and create force
I release my arrow
My shot sure and true
The arrow meets with invader
A crimson cloud of rain explodes
As arrow connects
The sound of a heavy fall
The low moan as life escapes
I remain at my post
I watch intently
After feeling assured
I lower my bow and continue watch
We will investigate the invader
In the morning, as my job is
Night sentry.

Teeth bared like sharp ivory knives
Tonight one of us loses our lives
Eyes glowing a bright neon green
Snarls in the dark show you are evil and mean

I'm blinded by the darkness of night
You best me with the power of night sight
I rely on all other senses possessed
To get me out of the dark and this mess

Eligos and Dantalion have changed guise
Botis and Abalam show how wise
As demonic tricks come into view
I strain my eyes while watching you

The Devil's henchmen due his will
Within the blackened night sky chill
Mathim, Beelzebub, Forneus and Labal
Have been summoned to terrorize all

Incubus, Halphas, Gremory and Ipos
Hover in the mist of night so close
Gusion, Astaroth, Caim and Beleth
Conjure up ways to seal your death

Beasts in the night trolling the skies
With visions of hell burning in their eyes
Patrolling and searching for the evil souls
That were destined to become Satan's coals

Time's twisted path
Blaze's and ebbs on the horizon
Sweet aroma of justice
Faintly sensed on the tip of time's tail
Windblown clouds puffed in an hourglass
Circling a laughing sun and perplexed moon
Mortals grabbing at the tail of time
Creating quick fixes
That time denies
Ebb on and blaze on
For you are unconquerable

Contemplating
Heart beat racing
I pace to and fro

My blood boiling
Fingers coiling
Time I have to go

Nostrils flaring
Eyeballs glaring
Seeing your demise

Temper rising
No compromising
You will have to die

bloodshot eyes
From the lies
You expressed to me

bulging veins
black tear stains
Soon I'll set you free

Hell accepting
Soul collecting
Yours paid in advance

No repenting
So relenting
With the Devil dance

Can I travel the universe in your eyes?
Fly through the brilliant brightness
Swing from the lower edge of a crescent moon
Dash between the glowing radiant stars
Spiral through the black holes of your galaxies
And explore the innermost you
Coming out in the endless regions of your mind
Floating through vivid imagery
Experiencing your thoughts and dreams
Reveling in the new found knowledge of you
You are fully exposed to me now
I find you in a dream of yours
Take your hand and lead you out the way I came
Until we stand in front of a great mirror
Where we fly into the eye of my reflection
Now you will know me as I know you

Follow the invious paths of my mind
Overshadowed by oaks of insecurity
Step not into shadow's darkness
For those paths are still unchartered
Go by the grace of your God
Pray your protection be withstanding
What lies ahead may be disturbing
Should you quench your desire
To probe further
Let me offer a standardized warning
"Contents may be unsuitable to some viewers."
With all your senses
Placed on high alert
Stay on the paving stones!
Enter knowing you have been warned!
High pitched screams of despair
Flow through the air like wingless birds
While the pave stones float in a thick river of blood
Deformed anomalies of bodies parade in fields of dying brown grass
Playing instruments to the tune of the screaming
Mixed breed animals devour one another
Between minutes of giving birth
Washing down their meal by sipping at the river
Thunder roars intermittently
As lightning strikes unsuspecting souls
Leaving charred, black, smoldering zombies roaming
This infinite land
A drawn out cackling of a deranged hyena hybrid
Splits the air and is heard over the thunder and screams
Resonating over and over again upon straining ears
As he sits and looks up at a blood red moon
The aroma of half eaten carcasses
Acrid and powerful causing eyes to tear
And nose to burn as if dipped in sulphuric acid
Creating the feel of skin peeling off flesh
As the cool wind causes irritation
To exposed flesh, you scratch and rub
Vigorously rubbing away your existence
Until you no longer think of staying on the path
Stumbling, agitated, confused and unwillingly
Into the fields, tripping over bony remains
Of explorers before you

On the ragged crumbling cliffs of sanity
I stand, shaking with torment
Both hands clasp my head
As I look up to the black sky
Eyes wide with no focus
A dark star shines in them like polished obsidian
Mouth gaped hideously open in a toneless scream
Heavy cumulonimbus hang in the black
Displaying their strength with blinding flashes
And loud rumbling roars of thunder
I teeter on the edge, as it crumbles
Beneath my feet.
I want to let go and just fall
Simply fall into insanity
Let it sweep me into it's core
Devour my knowledge of anything else
I look into the abyss of insanity
A humid heavy mist
Whirls and swirls in a downward spiral
Beckoning me to take flight
And follow into it's depths
The wind pushing at my back
As if urging me on with a forceful nudge
My tattered clothing flails and waves
Like makeshift flags in the gust
The edge recedes some more
I lose footing and slip
My first instinct to catch myself
Then giving in to the forces within
I fall
Accepting my fate, I turn in the air
Face downwards and swan dive
Turning counter clockwise
Three feet from the cylindrical walls
With arms outstretched
I relish the rush
Velocity hitting my face hard
I force a rebellious grin
Speeding deeper into the abyss
Like a black bird of prey
Diving for salvation
No turning back
Not even a look back
From where I came
Suddenly my flight becomes floating
I see demonic creatures
Holding my extremities in their claws
Escorting me down to the core
They touch me down lightly
Then flutter and climb out of view
I walk through a short cavernous tunnel
Out through the opening
A huge bonfire stands towering before me
There's movement at its base
Hundreds of bodies dancing around it
A chanting fills the air
And I know with every ounce of me
I have reached the core of madness

The Devil he stays busy
Searching for some souls
He'll tempt them and coerce them
Then collect them for his gold
He'll promise you your desires
He'll give you riches galore
He'll give you almost anything
Of what you want and more
He'll tell you want you want to hear
He'll make you feel so strong
He'll fill your head with false happiness
And praise you when you're wrong
He can promise years of good living
And cater to your every whim
But after the years are over
Your soul belongs to him
The cost of what he does for you
Seems nothing at the start
There's no returns or refunds
The devil has no heart

Cracked wits
Sentiments leaking
Dripping to the floor
Hollowed out mind
Gray and void
Holds memory no more
Character retracted
Personality hides
Fearful behind black shroud
Shadow shivering
Nervous wreck
The aim is to becloud
Soul withdrawn
Vacant eyes
Stare through eternity
Tempt fate
gamble life
This could be you or me

A billion silver fireflies
Light up the blackened night
Then all at once come showering down
Such a spectacular sight!
The shadows of crippling hands
Reaching to an untouchable moon
Will all become so familiar
When daybreak comes so soon
The floating ghosts of troubled deaths
Sail the dim lit night skies
But if were seen in daytime
Would delight the saddest eyes
Lithe black shadows stalking
Prowling upon unsuspecting prey
Are far from fierce and menacing
When witnessed during the day
Seems mysterious night plays tricks
Upon an unsettled mind
Which makes the night quite evil
And the daytime seem so kind

It's dark and cold and wet
Sound of constant dripping
A puddle in the darkness
Being pummeled constantly
The sound echoing
Giving sensation of more than one
I shiver, pull my rags about me
Pitch black blankets my eyes
Dependent on ears for knowing
Drip, drip, drip
Echoing like a tired song of ghosts
I cringe in a corner
Feel the dampness against my back
Drip, drip, drip, drip
The sound bellowing through the darkness
I thought I'd found sanctuary
In the solitude of darkness
The ghost song continues
Drip, drip, drip
Thought this a place of refuge
But now has me gripped with fear
Wanted security from the night
Thought I'd found it
Drip, drip, drip
The eerie song goes on
Fear has me paralyzed
Couldn't escape if I tried
Which way is out?
I can't think
The song distorting my mind
A crazed grin pierces my lips
Teeth bared like uneven gravestones
The madness of the ghost's song
Has fevered me inside
I start to sing
Drip, drip, drip, drip

I ride on the tail of a second
To be gone in a instant
I'm revealed in the flash of lightning
To be shadowed for what seems forever
I dance on the cusp of a note
To be stilled by the silence of night
I live in between heartbeats
And die as it drums on

Hey come here let's talk
Speak, conversate, communicate
Let's relate words of love and hate
It's not too late
You got enough on your plate?
No wait, Let's plan
Yeah to overthrow the man
When the **** hits the fan
No rewind that
Let's go back
That **** was whack
Let me give you another track
Let's attack
From another angle
Get star spangled
and untangled
Fill our plates with knowledge
Take all we can from college
Get the message and meaning of
Life
Without no strife
The truth cuts deep like a knife
Hold on, info overload
We can't handle the mother load
Yeah we can, take our time
Fall back on reason and rhyme
We'll rise to the sublime
Flying high among the clouds
You hear our words
As we shout them out loud
Noise, deafening, booming
Heart and breath zooming,
Consuming, exhuming
The words of fore fathers
Our daddies, our pops
excavating, digging
with a shovel of need
Throw away the ****
Plant the seed
Like I'm doing right now
How?
In your mind
Seek and ye shall find
The planted word I sow
Sit back and watch it grow
Then you will know

Glowing red eyes out of darkness glare
All I can do is stop and stare
Low rumbles of growling pierces night
I am stuck and frozen with fright
What can it be that has me shivering
Can't stop myself from quivering
Something evil lurks in pitch black
Something getting ready to attack
My heart is pounding in my ears
Am I facing my worst fears?
Has Satan's demon come for me?
I can not tell, I can not see
I try to scream, to no avail
No sound from my lips seemed to sail
I try to move and get away
But whatever lurks has neared it's prey
I push and pull with all my might
Trying to escape into the night
My running so fast, is all but a dream
My mouth held open in a silent scream
My mind whirling with thoughts of death
I hear my gasping for every breath
My chest rising and falling
The thickness of night has me stalling
My head aches and muscles are stressed
No time now to think about rest
I hear the growl get closer still
I run with all my might and will
No use, I'm not getting anywhere
The thing is so close it's almost there
I lunge forward with a burst of strength
But the thing will go to any length
I feel myself stumble, then I trip
Now I am within it's grip
As I turn and raise my head
I **** out of sleep in my bed
Sweat has drenched me through to my skin
Another nightmare! How long will I win?

My mind's spinning, out into a dark void
Darkness and gray cover me
Thoughts and vivid images, flashing, zipping, flickering
Through my mind
I see you, I see me, I see people I haven't met yet
I see things unimaginable, I see the other side of death
There is no turning back, there is no escape
I am forced, willed, commanded to look
Visions, ghostly apparitions, specters of past
Voices telling me what the future holds
I can't grasp it, too much information
Speak louder, clearer so I can hear you!
Oh no, they're gone as quick as they came
More voices, voices over voices
Words spoken, hardly heard.
I need to understand you! Tell it to me again!
Like a scent on a breeze the words float away
Why can't I hear clearly? Am I meant to understand?
The voices ever speaking, moaning, chanting.
My skeletal hands grasp my head within them
Shaking, whirling, writhing and turning.
How can I hear them? Someone help me please!
The voices still coming, still talking, still there
I listen with all my might.
The words heard but not comprehended.
Words sailing on the wind, sailing from distant shores.
Focus **** it! I scream to myself.
Not heard by anyone else, I feel lonely.
Sailing like a leaf on a stream.
The words float on by slow and true.
I still can't hear them clearly.
Tears trail from mind's eyes.
Long deliberate trails of silver.
Seen through the dark and gray.
The trails blend in with the floating river of words.
Gone never to be seen or heard again.