Was, Is, Will Be

 

I was standing in the night

With shadows fallen over all

Questioning who I am

When I saw a flame

Brief it was

I strained to see a figure

Standing beneath a tree

Bringing a cigarette to his lips

But I could not see his face

I was about to turn

Seeking solitude not company

When a voice came

“Why do you question?”

I paused for a moment

Thinking he was speaking to himself

Again he spoke

“You know who you are

Why the questions?

Have you learned nothing?

I thought you were better than this

But then again

Maybe you don't really change”

Startled, I could not speak

His jacket reflecting the moon

He seemed so strange

Yet so familiar

“It must be your nature

No matter how I dislike it”

So arrogant

Thinking he knew me

Thinking he knew anything

My struggles

My pain

His youth showed

In his bold speech

I simply stared at this figure

A phantom in the night

After one long drag

Inhaling deeply the smoke

As he exhaled

He spoke

“The past never dies”

Confused I turned to leave

I spoke as I turned

“I am who I am right now”

But as I turned

I saw another in the dark

Leaning over

Staring at the stars

I could only see his shape

Light reflected from his cane

With a silver dragon

Shining in the darkness

I was so shocked

I stood silent

Then he spoke

With a voice of age 

Filled with the wisdom of years

“You're both so hasty

So head strong

What do you really know?”

This though

Came with a gentleness

That comes from experience

An old man

Reflecting to himself

On such a strange night

I couldn't help but wonder

Did I know this man?

So many years my senior?

Then came his voice again

“Someday you'll understand

But then again

Maybe you'll only realize

That you can never know”

Puzzled I was

Like a riddle

Spoken from the heart

That I knew all too well

He shifted slightly

And gave his parting words

“But who will I be?”

I turned to ponder this odd event

But when I looked

They were both gone

And as I pondered

I reflected on the familiar

The unknown

The thing I would never know

And the words came together

Past

Present

Future

Were such a constant blend

Yet so distinct

Sudden realization

I heard my own voice

Clearly this time

Speaking through it all

“The past never dies

I am who I am right now

But who will I be?”

Spirit of the Storm

There was a flash of light

A resounding boom

And all was darkness

As echoes filled the air

I could see nothing at all

Ears filled with the relentless storm

When I saw your face

There in the darkness

I could hear your voice

In the falling of the rain

Like a sweet song

In a world where nothing remained

So I let it wash over me

Holding me in the still of the night

I let it embrace me

Though the rain was cold

The touch was warmth to my soul

No darkness could overtake

The light of your presence

Consuming me utterly

In that moment

Nothing else existed

Nothing else mattered

That phantom in the night

That alighted my soul

Overtaking every sensation

Was everything to me

And when the light of dawn broke free

And I awoke to sun and sky

The memory lingers still

Cherished in my heart

Forever and always there

The spirit of the storm

Syringes at Midnight

Brushing teeth
In the middle of the night
I have no idea why
A drink to clear the head
Wanting something
Anything to numb the pain
A cry in the darkness
Rings out in dead silence
Shaking and hesitation
Not wanting what comes next
But needing it
Finally there is calm
With closed eyes
A willingness to accept it
What must come next
To be able to sleep again
Escaping the suffering
With tired resolve
And syringes at midnight

Prepared Way

I was alone
There was no one to hear my words
As they echoed out
In the cold of night
I asked for direction
I asked for guidance
So I listened
And I spoke
As if I were before a crowd
And I kept listening
And I kept speaking
Until I had said
What I meant to say
But had been unable to put into words
And found my way
By listening
By learning
And I was ready
My way had been prepared
So I gave thanks
And left to face the night
And wait for the morning

Blanket

It's cold outside today
And the rain falls down lightly
The world outside is lonely
The darkness that falls nightly
A blanket covers the land
With a shadow over all
And I shiver and I try to sleep
And answer slumber's call

The Warlock

I am the fear you feel
When you charge into battle
I am the feeling that haunts you
As you feel your life draining away
I am the howl of terror you hear
Over the clashing of swords
It is my vengence you feel
As every wound sears from my touch
My dark intent masks the battle field
The agony becomes too much to bear
The corruption to great to overcome
Your affliction has become unstable
As my malefic grasp clings to your soul
Nightfall comes
Everything fades
And I harvest another soul
Empowering me to take on the next foe
Who dares to cross my dark soul

All We Have

Fleeting thoughts of a desperate mind
Turning to days gone by
Yearning to once again be free
A vain attempt to fly

Ever growing doubt and fear
Supplication for the soul
A desperate plea with voice unheard
To once again be whole

Consciousness fading quickly
Dropping into the abyss
Darkness surrounds the heart and mind
Thinking all we have is this

Questions in the Dark

Sometimes when I lay awake
Thinking of nothing
My mind strays
And I ponder what lies beyond
Where are we going?
Why are we here?
The thought passes in the dark
Sleep evades me
Like the answer to the questions
That ask themselves at night