From the Mist Read online

  I seek you only, shriek your name

  Until the wind picks up my cries,

  And sends them reeling through the skies

  To find and bring you back to me,

  My love, my life eternally.

  ***********

  In the Glen

  Looking into the crystal,

  The dark waves falter.

  I can breathe the air 'round us

  Rising like an altar.

  On the dark and moonless night,

  Wish upon a star

  While the cold wind shakes the trees

  And calls us from afar.

  On the whispering carrousel,

  In circles we will ride,

  Hearts in autumn fantasies,

  While scarlet flows the tide.

  Winsome wonder flutters wings,

  Making melodies

  In the ruins of our hearts,

  Across the silent seas.

  We have touched, our souls entwined,

  Our hearts have become one,

  How do we now separate

  From what we have become?

  Mystical and marvelous,

  Bonds of steel and wire,

  How tight its grip upon us now,

  How hot the raging fire.

  In the swiftness of the hour,

  Underneath the trees,

  Draw us there again, sweet muse;

  Love, never set us free.

  **********

  Katie Morrell

  Was a wind softly blowin'

  Across the green grass,

  I laid her down gently

  And her love I did ask,

  When all of the sudden

  She started to scream,

  The rock in my hand

  Seemed like only a dream.

  Sweet Katie Morrell,

  Who died without warnin',

  Lyin' pallid and cold

  'Mongst the lilies and mud,

  Twisted and lifeless

  In the stain of your blood.

  The why they still ask

  And I wish that I knew,

  But like fog in the mist,

  I haven't a clue,

  For I loved this rare beauty,

  Though glimpsed from afar.

  She smiled like an angel;

  She glowed like a star,

  And I lived to possess her,

  To make her my own.

  'Twas a madness, I think,

  Turned my heart into stone,

  Now these grim walls close in,

  Dank and cold as a cave

  And my nostrils are filled

  With the stench of the grave.

  The truth lingers empty,

  Untold by my fears;

  Nerves crack like a bell

  Through the long, dreary years.

  And each night I descend

  To my dark, sleepless hell

  Reliving the murder

  Of Katie Morrell.

  **********

  Lyda

  Lyda lit the jagged candle,

  Sheltering the trembling flame.

  Someone in the darkest corner

  Whispered out her name.

  "Lyda, come to me," the voice said.

  "Come with me to other shores."

  But she stood, her pale face ghostly,

  Just inside the door.

  Then his pleading came more urgent,

  "Come with me, my only love,

  I have pledged my heart to you,

  This I swear above."

  Dark as ebon shone her long hair,

  Plaited o'er the white night gown,

  As she slowly walked towards him,

  Bare feet made no sound.

  Lyda sat upon the saddle,

  Head pressed gently 'ginst his breast.

  Close to dawn they stopped at Fordham

  Just to take a rest.

  And her father found them sleeping,

  There together in the bed.

  Pulling out his silver pistol,

  Shot her lover dead.

  His armed men gathered Lyda up,

  Like a prisoner in their arms,

  Back they rode across the miles,

  Back to Lincoln Farm.

  Lyda looks out of the window,

  As the sun is going down

  All these years past, words have left her,

  Never to be found.

  As the darkness descends slowly,

  She waits, silent in the room;

  Waits to hear a gentle tapping

  Coming from the gloom.

  Back behind her at the table

  Sits her father with his men,

  White bones glowing in the dim light,

  Skulls with ghastly grins.

  There before them is their last meal,

  Turned to dust, the poisoned bread,

  The wine glass filled with cobwebs,

  Now a spider's bed.

  Lyda lights the jagged candle,

  Sheltering the trembling flame.

  Someone in the darkest corner

  Whispers out her name.

  "Lyda, come to me," the voice says.

  "Come with me to other shores."

  But she stands, her pale face ghostly,

  Just inside the door.

  And the madness comes upon her,

  Like it always has before.

  "Lyda come to me," the voice says.

  "Come forevermore."

  **********

  Mackey

  Mackey came to Shackleford

  With his sister Alice,

  Who was to wed the handsome prince

  And live within the palace.

  He had great dreams of his prestige

  And power he would gain,

  As brother of the prince's wife

  Soon all would fear his name.

  On the way they met a dwarf

  With beard as white as snow.

  Mackey didn't like the dwarf

  And shot him with his bow.

  Fair Alice was enraged at this,

  "What is it that you've done!"

  Young Mackey shrugged his shoulders,

  "It was just a bit of fun.

  But now we must press on, my dear,"

  Though Alice tried to balk.

  "The prince is waiting for his bride,

  There is no time to talk."

  He drug her to the carriage,

  The driver shook the reins.

  Away they flew from wounded dwarf

  Left bleeding in the rain.

  Next day they pulled in at the gate,

  All was in a tither,

  Children running everywhere

  But no adults were thither.

  "What is it that is going on?"

  Mackey shouted soon.

  "Someone has shot the king," one said.

  "They brought him in at noon."

  Mackey thought 'How simply grand,

  For now she'll be Queen Alice!'

  They stopped at last before the door

  And entered in the palace.

  Down the long, dim room they strode,

  Intent upon the throne,

  But when they reached it Mackey shook

  And uttered out a groan.

  Upon the dais he beheld

  The dwarf he'd left for dead,

  Though looking rather weak and ill,

  The crown was on his head.

  Mackey swung next day at dawn,

  Then Alice wed her prince

  And Shackleford has never seen

  Such a celebration since.

  **********

  My Enemy

  Longer than any lover I have known,

  Your passion has endured and surely grown.

  More constant, more reliable than friend,

  Upon your hatred I always can depend.

  All through the night you'll try to take me down,

  My savage heart may flinch, but I'll rebound.
r />   Though we may struggle through eternity,

  You give me cause to live, my enemy.

  Revenge, how cold, yet feverish it feels,

  We stand apart, across the battlefield,

  The hatred in my soul consumes me still,

  'Til I can scarcely breathe. I feel the chill

  Sweep over me and shiver with delight,

  Conspiring with fate to take your life.

  And who shall win and who shall lose, we'll see;

  Here's wishing death to you, my enemy.

  **********

  Nivek

  Melt the sun, in darkness dwell,

  My Prince of Night, my King of Hell,

  As solemn tolls the distant bell,

  O, Tempter, speak who knows me well.

  I see your eyes, so blue and pale,

  They hold me captive in your spell.

  O, Lover, seek my bosom's swell

  And make my heart your citadel.

  Lift silently the heavy veil

  To touch my lips so thin and frail,

  Your flesh, so cool, my thoughts curtail,

  Your breath I breathe when you exhale.

  Let heart beat fast, my sense assail.

  The ecstasy as fangs impale.

  Let sweet blood flow like scarlet ale,

  My neck becomes your holy grail.

  Here in your evil love, regale,

  This fragile feast is yours, avail!

  Let loose the beast within your shell

  And make me yours, your Queen of Hell.

  O night, so wanton, hear my wail;

  O life, so cheap, let death prevail.

  **********

  Ragnor

  Sit and drink the blood of evil,

  Feel it coursing through your veins,

  Satan's breath blows freely on you,

  Death is waiting-Death and flames.

  Shred the flesh and rip the sinew,

  Crack the bone and muscle rend,

  Slash the organs. Torn asunder,

  All these weakling, fragile men.

  On the throne of Ragnor, shining,

  With the light of hell's vast store,

  Trampling over town and village,

  Driven madly, grasping more.

  In your iron fist you wad it,

  Twist it, tear it, crush it down,

  'Til they bow before the master

  On his throne beneath his crown.

  **********

  Revelations 26 - 27

  The night birds are howling,

  And the sea is a rage

  That bursts on the beaches

  In hundred foot waves.

  There are dark clouds scowling,

  Flashing over the moon

  And thunder is clanging

  Like a pan and spoon.

  Look all around,

  What do you see?

  Is it the angel of death

  Come calling on me?

  Look all around,

  What do you see?

  The whole city's on fire

  And it's time to leave.

  The earth is a-trembling,

  Spirits walk from the graves.

  Eternal damnation

  And nowhere is safe.

  The centuries of warnings

  Spurned as virtue grew numb,

  Now the reapers stand ready,

  The harvest has come.

  Look all around,

  What do you see?

  Is it the angel of death

  Come calling on me?

  Look all around,

  What do you see?

  The whole world's on fire

  And nowhere to flee.

  **********

  Rowena

  Down in the depths of despair I did lay,

  Feeling empty and callous and searching for prey.

  She wandered along, with her face gold and gay

  And I asked her to come to the garden to play.

  She clapped and she squealed at the flowers so bright,

  Her sweet dimpled cheeks lit up with delight,

  And she danced down the paths in the watery light,

  With no inkling of danger, no notion of fright.

  Then I smiled and called her, she willingly came.

  My blood was on fire; it burned like a flame,

  I beckoned her closer, "Please tell me your name."

  She whispered, "Rowena." I said, "What a shame."

  Then I showed her my knife, her eyes opened wide,

  So softly she whimpered, so softly she cried.

  I plunged it in deeply, it cut side to side,

  And I left her alone in the fresh crimson tide.

  The headlines screamed 'Murder! An angel has flown

  To heaven. A killer, with heart made of stone,

  Has sent her soul winging.' Oh had they but known

  How my soul it did wrench and my conscience did groan.

  I cried to the walls and to God loudly prayed.

  From my home in the cellar I staggered next day,

  In the depths of despair, with the skies dull and grey,

  Feeling empty and callous and looking for prey.

  **********

  Savor

  What is life?

  This fainting heart, this hollow breath,

  This fragile hand that claws at death,

  The blood that pulses through the vein,

  Warm and sweet and comforting.

  I am your nightmare; let me feed,

  Taste your sweet essence, make you bleed.

  I'm your desire; what you need.

  Let me savor you.

  I am your promise; I'm your fear,

  Let all misgivings disappear.

  Tremble, my darling, I am here.

  Let me savor you.

  I am your passion; I'm your sin.

  Yield to me softly; let me in.

  Unholy lover, rise again.

  Let me savor you.

  Come to me.

  Let me savor you.

  Let me feed.

  **********

  Shouting through the Noise

  Teetering on the brink of madness,

  Fingers slipping on the rail,

  Yellow eyes, like flames, were flickering

  Lost behind the scarlet veil.

  Gnarled talons, like claws, were grasping

  At the shreds of sanity

  Tattered and clinging all around her,

  Whispers of cold reality.

  Where do they come from, all the answers,

  Screaming in one single voice.

  Like an alarm bell, shrill and cutting,

  They come shouting through the noise.

  As each footstep slips and totters

  And each sharp cry rents the sky,

  She is reaching, but no one aids her,

  She is lost among the noise.

  **********

  The Fairy Ring

  The fairy ring's lit in the pale early spring

  With lanterns of dew hung on frail golden string.

  The tinkling of bells on the west breezes ring,

  While far in the valley are heard songs they sing.

  For the fairies come out to dance and to play

  As soon as the dusk says farewell to the day,

  As soon as cruel Winter has fled on his sleigh

  And the Mistress of Summer is fast on her way.

  The folks in the valley can hear the sweet song,

  The sound of the lyre and the harp all night long.

  They tip back the bottle and taste the brew, strong,

  A toast to the fairies, eternal their throng.

  **********

  The Fall of Gurron

  The lake was alive with the flames of Gurron,

  The sky crawled, helpless, across the black trees.

  The drums tore the heavens with the roar of their vengeance

  While the cries of the Sandrians rolled to the sea.

 
The symbol of death rode high on their banners

  As they swept like a tide over the plain,

  While the great walls of Gurron lay shattered before them

  And the screams of the dieing were drowned in the rain.

  Their spears were all bloody; their shields were battered,

  Their souls were on fire; their hearts were enflamed,

  Their faces were ice cold, their eyes hard and bitter,

  As they rode like a savage wind, fierce and untamed.

  Away from the ruins, away from Gurron,

  Once the symbol of majesty in the west,

  Now crushed and defeated, forever forgotten,

  With nothing to mark her, not even her crest.

  **********

  The Haunting

  Laura's standing in the hallway -

  Climb the narrow, twisting stair.

  Laura's looking out the window,

  Brushing back her scarlet hair.

  No one hears her when she's walking;

  No one sees her passing by,

  Just a shadow briefly pausing -

  Just a stifled, lonely cry.

  Laura's gazing through the french door

  At the dark and angry sky,

  At the clouds that hang like sorrow;

  Laura shakes her head and sighs.

  From the balcony she flutters

  Like a moth, her gown, like wings,

  Flowing 'round her, floating downward;

  A pale white flower meets death's sting.

  Laura's lying in the darkness,

  Broken, shattered in the weeds.

  Haunting echoes fill the autumn

  With the moaning of the trees.

  Laura's standing in the hallway

  With her gown an eerie white,

  Her sad face is pale and ghostly

  As she walks again tonight.

  **********

  The River of Death

  The river of death flows down to the sea,

  Down to the sea that flows with blood,

  Scarlet it froths as it whirls 'neath the sun

  And cuts out the banks of thick, black mud.

  The river of death flows down to the sea,

  Down to the sea, salted with tears.

  Forever crashing on rocks of despair,

  Hollow it's vict'ry o'er mortal fears.

  The river of death flows down to the sea,

  Down to the sea in fragile ships,

  Go we all alone, with troubles to spare

  And our crosses firmly in our grip.

  The river of death flows down to the sea,

  Down to the sea never ending.

  Looking only ahead, not left nor right,

  We sail on wherever it's wending.