Well I'm ridin through the crossroads
on a midnight jet black horse,
got my pistol cocked and my sabre sheathed
,but loosely as a matter of course-

In the past I could let my guard down,
but Tonight I must not fail,
I'm like Jonah riding in the belly of the beast
while Ahab takes aim at the whale,
screaming from Hells heart I stab at thee for hate I spit my last breath
but tonight's my night
the coin's just took flight will it be life or endless death?,
I'm a wanted man with a blackened name,
and the hunter's have my scent,
but it's my one true love who I've got to save,
so on her rescue I'm Hellbent.

And the hell in there is not a turn of phrase,
she's in the grip of Satan's kin,
and if silver and steel can't save her soul,
I'll trade my own straight in.
because Sweet Alice always warned me
'bout the company I kept,
but I ignored her wisdom and for my sins,
she was taken while I slept,
by a Hell spawned demon creature
straight from Lucifer's darkest dream,
and her sob of fear is all I could hear,
now I'm haunted by that scream,
and for 11 years I've faced all my fears
on an evil infested trail,
a Witch woman omen caster told me I could save her with the holy grail.

I turn to see the demon following me
thru the gloom and misty hail,
and for the thousandth time I curse my oath to quest for the holy grail,
but Sweet Alice needs me to be strong,
and so I must not fail,
*to face hell's hordes and save her soul I must find the holy grail

The Mirror Reflected By Rob Sandman
type =  Subconscious  type = Conscious/Defiant

x2 Late last night,I got such a scare,
looked in the mirror,my reflection wasn't there,
there was someone else starin back at me,
mirror mirror on the wall who can this stranger be

This stranger starin' from my reflection,
spins my mind in every direction,
mid life crisis hits my mid section,
madness,sadness,fear and perplexion

this can't be me man I'm not that old,
everybody used to say that I'd sold my soul
to old nick for my youthful looks,
where'd this old man come from man what the ****?

Yesterday my plans were rock steady,
now they've all collapsed like a levee
schemes and dreams turn out to be heavy,
when you're hand's no longer as steady,
on the wheel of time steady turning,
and the fuel,the fool is you burning,
friends and lovers gone not returning,
for days of yesteryear you're still yearning-cause

x1 Late last night,I got such a scare,
looked in the mirror,my reflection wasn't there,
there was someone else starin' back at me,
mirror mirror on the wall who can this stranger be ?

I'm still the same man,with the same drives.
and honestly I've never FELT more alive,
but this strange reflection's a traitor,
trying to tell my dreams "see ya later",
its past time now to settle right down,
stop playing to the gallery,send back the clowns,
crows feet,sore feet unpaid overtime,
you haven't got the time anymore to rhyme,
so drop the pen join the rat race,
I'm looking at a stranger wearing my face!,
old man *******,I'm still who I am,
I'll never stop spitting to the grave from the pram,
we all grow older,each one of us,
but that doesn't mean to give your dreams up,
not to me man,**** the grey hairs
but out of the mirror the stranger stares...(and says)

x2 Late last night,I got such a scare,
looked in the mirror,my reflection wasn't there,
there was someone else starin' back at me,
mirror mirror on the wall who can this stranger be?

Copyright Rob Sandman of Eclectic Collective Eire.

This Poem is dedicated to the lives lost while climbing the most unforgiving Peaks in the world.
" "Why did you want to climb Mount Everest? * "
" *Because it's there. "
George Leigh Mallory* 1923

Eyes stinging,I'm facing up to the test,
realising that this could could be the death of me yet,
take a peek at the peak from under my hood,
life sapping winds leech heat from blood.
Of a lesser one maybe,but me no never,
take the pace easy,got to box clever

As the hurricane howls I know I can't sweat,
if you do you lose heat,that's the kiss of death,
push endurance to the max through the **** zone,
keep your mind right cause you're on your own,
stay positive,already faced K2,
Savage Mountain behind me,time for take two*
taking on the monster,most unforgiving,
Goddess of the sky,sacrifices the living,
of the ones who tried 9% have died,
Sagarmatha- I say a silent prayer for their lives.

Don't want my name on the roll of the lost,
souls wandering the peak like a host of ghost's,

save a thought for the Sherpa's,unflinching guides,
without whom the attempt is sheer suicide

Is it Vanity?, Ego? that pushes us to climb,
the 8 thousand plus defy man and time
I can't answer-even though I know the ledge
all I know is life's sweeter when you're on the edge,
of the precipice the gap between life and death
preserve your oxygen-steal each breath,

Born risk taker- adrenaline drug of choice,
free-dived blue hole,flew Carl's walls heights,
but this is the big one,can't take fright-
or I'll be frozen like a statue,by the dawn's cold light,
point of no return strength got to summon it,
whole life leads to the push for the summit."

Tick tock tick tock don't stop-til you drop...

We work ourselves to the grave as whipped wage slaves,
to buy shiny things to prevent us from observing the truth waves
the reality-
the fatality rate of life is 100%.
So how do we work out exactly what percent is spent on-
staving off boredom?-
Instead of starvation,
but the placation of every First World Nation
was borne of greed- a need for Subjugation,
enough is never enough for those who walk rough-
shod across backs bent over PC monitors,
BILLIONS spent,
so your MP can monitor your every move,every lunch break-
toilet break?

Is this to break our spirit,so the spiritual vampires,
can feed on your Aura,Chi Spirit Soul the inner glow that defies defilement,
it's easier to fight back than most people think,
more than one glitch in the Matrix,
just stop.
Think...
enjoy a little me time from time to time,
me I enjoy a little rhyme to pass on the Sublime-
Truth that's out there(is the Sandman an X file?)
Be bold like the font when you seek Fonts of Wisdom
*be strong in the broken places,you can fix them!

"where did all it start to go wrong,
when my doctor told me i didn't have long,
cancer treatments too **** expensive-
wife's in charge and I'm **** retentive,

can't get a job,can't get a loan,
maybe I can figure how to work from home?
My future's like Heisenberg,too uncertain,
provide for my family,before its curtains...

I'm a chemistry teacher and chemistry rules me,
but so many unknown's too easy to fool me,
but how can I do it?can't even guess,
unless,unless,I start to cook ****?

Unless as a teacher I get someone to school me,
I know the principles(principals), just need the tools,see,
I can't tell my wife-can't tell my son,
that my stars burning out like a fading sun,
a trailer park cookout,will it be a mess,
first batch *****!(Jesse sample)total **** success,
but success in this business can lead to death,
p.e. number one,-Heisenberg of ****,

Gotta deal with this ******,name of Tuco,
might shake your hand,cut your throat or shoot you,
I was a 9 to 5 loser-happy teaching chemistry,
now I deal in in death,spreading pain and misery,
My partners a ******,my wife doesn't get-

That I'm like a medical examiner,surrounded by death,
Jesus Jesse you're a pane in my ***,
it's looking clear to me,you're too fond of the glass,
mirror mirror,where's the fairest price for us?,
I've heard of this one guy,name of Gus...

The Calm(before the Storm)

"It's not often these days that I get to relax,
see the Sandman I'm usually draggin an axe,
with my ex's new fella's head stuck on the spike,
cause it was cut the ******* like I was wielding a pike.
but today I'm very level,no need for medication,
turn the interwebs off,no need for *******.

Just me and my clan(the Irish version not the stupid one),
everyone is rollin one smokin one or lightin one,
flip the top off a bottle and contemplate a rattle,
with the lady of the hour all's fair in love and battle.

And this is nice....I like it when people don't flinch,
hear the singin of a Finch as I pinch another inch,
off the the J Jay handed me,a gentleman,a scholar,
lean to me left to pass it on to Mal another,
of the scientific,dapper rapper witty individuals,
that make up the collective that I'm part of,see our principles,
are the one thing that brought us all together,
completely different birds yet all of one feather-

as we feather the nest I smooth the hairs on me chest
and...relax...
cause its the eye of the storm,
time to take stock,huddle up and keep warm,
maybe huddles turn to cuddles as the music moves your feelings,
cause its a warm fuzzy feeling,underneath the same ceiling,
with me mates and me lover,I think I'll have another beer...

Of course I'll have another,
cause we're...safe now,for the moment at least,
from the big bad wolf hulk,the Sandman sleeps,
and while the cats away I can kick up my heels
enjoy the solitude that Skitz rarely feels,
cause the forecast's bleak,those clouds look like thunderstorms,
but just for five minutes I'm relaxed ahhhh...,its the calm before the storm."

Bolero

Roll….slowly,let me rope your soul solely,
As you feel the Sandmans touch take control see,
Theres a whole lotta atmospheric pressure involved,
Rhymes gamed, flames flamed- new riddles to be solved,
Dissolve yourself in my dissolution,
Sudoku rhymer-kabuki solution,
My approach comes over the crowd like a wave-

Hypnotic suggestions -  your psyche’s enslaved,
Sway,stay,pray - I prey on your grey matter,
Thoughts dreams and scenes flee all become scattered…
A battered suit of plate armour that STILL holds firm,
Come with me as I whisk you away into the firmament,
See stars born and die in mere millisecs,
Come get drawn further every parsec,
Away from Earth a mere ball of dirt,
Some try to escape their fate the truth can hurt...

But we’re all stardust,so return to your beginnings,
Still spinning,no sinning hear the Multiverse singing,
my Bolero whips you tight in triple time,
dance with me hold tight to my rhyme…