If thine eye offend thee

I have seen it
(him?)
through their eyes
and so
it dwells in my minds eye
which no blade can put out.
and even should I pluck my eyes
which offend me
from my head 
yet
I would see it still.

I would see it, still

It does not know that I have seen it
for none who see it live.
none save I
who has never seen it.
and I do not know why this is so.

There is a city
a great city
where it is always night
I went there often as a child
in dreams
wandered its empty avenues
admired its vast silent 
deserted spaces
towers and buildings
which never echoed
the sounds of life.

And then I grew up
and began to dream 
of other things.
and the city faded
from my memory
and I dwelled in a city of day
and night

nights filled with life
and light
and sound.
for a great city never sleeps
never sleeps.

And then it came 
it came from outside
and found the city to its liking

I remember
grey autumn days 
with the rain sweeping
in curtains and sheets
between the canyon buildings
down falling
washing the day clean
washing the night.
I would stand at the window
watching the rain
stream and runnel
over the glass.

Let me stand again
atop the highest tower
as I did one night
(long before this began)
To watch
God throw his lightning
and roar thunder.
so bright, so pure, that light.
I would open my eyes
wide.
wide, to let that light 
burn out the images
of what they saw,
and gave to me, 
and the cold rain wash away,
wash away the stain,
he has made upon my soul.

Sonnet 3

gods servant stuffs his face with holy food,

as with his love of god he stuffs his brain.

And seeks the vision of the bloody rood,

and dreams of christs blood falling like the rain.

how beautiful the sacred heart now bleeding,

with bronze spear blade so bright pierced sharply through.

thus eternity is gained by true believing 

the words of men, so patently untrue.

For love is not true love, unless it’s torture,

and there is no true love without great pain,

and in the flesh there can be found no virtue

unless it be here mortified, for heavens gain.

So gods perfect earthly forms are here neglected,

lest, enjoyed here, they be by god rejected.

Sonnet 2

rising light of votive candles wicks aflame

whose prayers ascending heavenward as heat

before the monstrance sacred, holy frame

the light of prayers seeks high a heavenly seat.

In sanctuaries dark where priests insane

sit at table frocked to dine on meat.

on linen white, with new blood newly stained 

the blood of alter boys, blood of belief.

Theirs is a brutal god, their god of men

who holds no place for women in his heart

demands blood sacrifice torture and pain

yet all the world cannot assuage his thirst

All the world proclaims gods name is love

while at his feet blood murdered lies his dove.

Children of the twilight world.

Foolish children of the twilight world
so swift seeking the night and the dark
where your misdeeds shall lie covered
from seeking bright eyed day
sunbright and unshadowed

I hear your dark hearts calling
across the silence that lies between.
see your glowing sparks,
such food as should feed a god.
let me cover you, consume you.

Give me your fear, I crave it
more even than adoration.
That I leave for the stupid god,
preening before his people.
I shall make them mine.

So many you, like flies on a corpse
buzzing, swarming, maggots writhing
white in the rotting carcass.
He left you, abandoned you.
He does not love you.
You bore him.

Sofia gave rise to the world?
No, ignorance, the child of sofia
gave rise to your world,
and you. Ignorant people of an ignorant god
Fear him? No. 
Fear me.

The one who bound me fades
his thoughts wander
paths of otherness far away
I feel my chains weaken.
Yet I am patient.

Your days numbered, you spend,
profligate, fools that you are.
I shall make your nights mine.
I shall rule you, drink you, consume you.
Your fear
shall feed me.

I shall come to you
like a lover in the night
embrace you, enfold you, encompass you.
But no eye shall see me, not one.
None shall see me, 
and live.

Like flies swarming are you
seeking life in death
carnus incarnatum
yes, I remember 
what was in his mind
when he made you.
I was there.

I remember.
he does not,
senile old man.
where is he now? 
Call him,
he will not answer.
But I will -
And I will be -
your New Lord.

Eldest Sleeps

In the great hall 

eldest sleeps

before the fire fallen embered

eldest sleeps

waiting in his carven chair

eldest sleeps

through the dark night passing

eldest sleeps

alone forgotten

eldest sleeps

while black winged raven flies

eldest sleeps

while soul ships shatter upon night cold rocks

eldest sleeps

while hunger stalks night feasting

eldest sleeps

while his children suffer

eldest sleeps

while the blood moon rises

eldest sleeps

while the sun set dark is rising

eldest sleeps

while you have forgotten his name

eldest sleeps

while you cry out in anguish

eldest sleeps

while sleep stops his ears

eldest sleeps

as white, the cat sits, silent, waiting

eldest sleeps

while the spell slips 

eldest sleeps

while loosed is the hound of hell

eldest sleeps

now of her dreaming

eldest sleeps

of she who brings forth

eldest sleeps

girl maiden crone

eldest sleeps

he who does creation

eldest sleeps

she who is creation

eldest sleeps

would it were so simple

eldest sleeps

Forms

There are forms
and forms
shadows on the wall
flame flickered
dancing
for the ones in chains
watching

the elemental
ancient
watching ones
passing between
casting shadows on
shadows
power on
power

Deceiving -

it is said
a god bound them
confined
constrained them
that man
weak flesh
his creation
might command them
with words

then was born hatred


incant
enchant
to speak
is to command
if
you know
the words.

the word is the sigil
of the idea
and in the idea
therein dwells
the power.

I am enchanted.
You are enchanted.
he/she/it is enchanted.
We are enchanted
Ya'll are enchanted
They are enchanted.

Bound by words.
To believe is to be bound.
To have faith is to be twice bound
To have religion is to be bound and gagged.
Re-ligatured.


No ligature marks on the body.

Then why didn't she run?

Not a mark on her.

You sure?

Me? Hell, I don't know nothin. We'll know better when we get the ME report, but I don't see any marks. You see any marks?

Nothing, not a scratch.

Look at her makeup.

Yeah. I see it.

Like she was cryin her eyes out.

Looks like it.

'Cept she doesn't have any eyes.

What the fuck? Sorry...  Will you look at that. Well I'll be damned... Where the hell are they?

We've been over the lot, no sign of em. [a look] They're not in his pockets.

You checked?

First thing, after we noticed...

Think he might have...

Eaten them?

You said it, I didn't.

Doubt it. They might still turn up. But I expect we'd a found em if they were here. They're a lot bigger than you'd expect. This is some weird ass shit.

Bizarre.

Yeah, an that's not all, I mean, look, see how she's kneelin there? Shit, see? she looks like she's prayin. Bizarre ain't the half of it.  This is some seriously weird ass shit. You ever see rigor set in like that? Why didn't she fall over... fall down when she died? You die, you go slack, you fall down. It's simple. I've never seen nothin like this. Yeah, this is some weird ass shit.

Miserere Nobis.

What?

Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father.

What the fuck is up with you?

Sorry, I used to be Catholic.

There ain't no ex catholics.

That's what they keep telling me.


[laughter]


So what's the story on the guy?

Well, he ain't dead. For starters.

Lucky him. And you don't think he took her eyes.

No blood on him anywhere I could find. Not a drop. Kinda hard to yank someone's eyes out without gettin a little blood on ya.

Any marks on him? Scratches, bite marks?

Nothin obvious. Looks like he burned his fingers some time recently. Right hand.
Looks like scorch marks, looks like... see there? soot?

Does kinda. Only time I've seen anything similar was a couple of accidental electrocutions.
High voltage?

Yeah. High voltage'll leave marks like that. But it didn't happen here. Look around. No wires. No juice.

Yeah. Right. [pause] How much you think that suit ran him?

That's a custom job, nice job. Pure virgin wool. I'm thinkin fifteen hundred, maybe two grand.

And here he is flat on his back in a dirty oily parking lot.

I got the number of a really good dry cleaner....

[laughter]

I've never seen nothin like this.

Me either.

How many years?

Five.

Fifteen.

Got me there.

No shit.


Think he did it?

Good question, we'll ask him if he wakes up.

If he wakes up? Why shouldn't he wake up? And anyway, his eyes are open.

Yeah, his eyes are open, but he's totally unresponsive.

He could be faking.

EMTs don't think so, they'll know better when they scan him at the hospital. Anyway, you get a good look at his face?

No.

Take a look.

Damn.

If I saw somethin that put a look like that on my face, I'd stay unconscious.

Yeah, he looks like death warmed over.

[laughter]


Yeah, but he's still breathin, an he's here with a dead girl, which I guess makes him our number one suspect at the moment.

Depends on what the ME finds.

Yeah, if she can figure out what the hell happened here.

Yeah.

Hey guys. Can we take him away now?

Yeah, where ya takin him?

Eastern General.

Yeah, load him up, you guys got my numbers, right?

Hey - I'm the one who keeps telling you we have to stop meeting like this.

Yeah. One'a these days I'm gonna have to ask you out.

Good luck with that! Anyway, you couldn't afford me. Not on your salary.


Hey. I'm up for promotion in a couple months.


Oh yeah? OK. We'll talk then.

[laughter]

CSI ought'a be here soon.

Yeah. 


Gotta learn ta love waitin.



There are forms
and shadows
dancing on a wall

Knots can be untied
Chains broken
Ropes cut

Words -
the sounds given
to ideas
to thoughts
the sounds don't matter
mutable
but the meaning remains
immutable

the form is the idea
the word the shadow
the word can bind
for as long as the idea remains
held by a mind.
But the enchantment can die
with the enchanter
and that which was bound


be released.

Between the stars

I am hunger, fierce dark, and unending.
A wanderer curst, a traveler alone.
The keeper of the broken beyond mending,
kind companion to those who die unknown.
The solo, singular, the solitary,
they feed me, and I thank them for their pain
with gentle whispers of death, necessary
the beauty of blood, red fallen like warm rain.
I was the King of Night, I losses shadow.
The Lord of those who walked the burning stones,
whose hollow souls howled out their endless anguish,
whose knees I forced, sweet bent before my throne.
I once was King of Night and shall again be,
When those who threw me down lie, soul dead, before me.