A Chorus Of Complaints

A Poetry Collection

By Frank F. Atanacio
 A Chorus Of Complaints

© Copyrighted 2010 By Frank F. Atanacio

For: Ronnie, Laura and Franky
 A Chorus Of Complaints *1

The thick clouds followed the contour of golden hills,

moving with a flock of sea ghosts,
traveling through the coast,
it was a strange return,
for the young men who would burn,
after the explosion left the sea,
tears hid beneath God’s polished cheek-bones,
as war ghosts were floating beyond
the green tangles of wilderness,
life done, survivors none,
as clouds passed over the sun,
life wanted more,
but the angels knew that wasn’t possible,
as their angelic feet threaded lightly over the mosaic floor,
there were no choices,
as the soldiers heard the voices,
passed loved ones came to show the way,
with candles lit for such a dreary day,
death had no restraints,
but life echoed a chorus of complaints,
dark shadows were contemplating,
and God was weary with waiting,
his voice thundered with indignation,
as he witnessed the doom,
and the spirits took their time,
inspecting their burial tomb.
 Fabulous *2

Just fabulous,
as she was trying to remember everything,
so that she could tell it in detail,
it was a fairy tale,
there were bowls of chrysanthemums,
the colors were filled with grace,
birds humming,
and there was no sorrow, not a trace,
happy she would be,
they drank weak, fragrant tea,
she ate rice from a spiritual yellow bowl,
and she could see,
that she was fed by kneeling angels,
and she felt so free.
 A Forbidden City *3

A future so dim,
a life of filthy sin,
she was selling her body,
which was intense and thin,
she once thought fancifully
that her body was a forbidden city,
she felt her family’s pity
burning in her heart,
and it just all fell apart,
as strangers had now fallen
to the temptation of looting
her forbidden city,
she no longer felt the pity,
and her future was bought,
by men with dirty thoughts,
that combined with the brooding
sense of danger,
the false heat, the disgusting lust,
no protection, no trust,
all hope lost, as it filled her head,
and her once forbidden city, now dead.
 Splashed His Face With Rain *4

To prevent further destruction,

God tried,
as the living and dead would collide,
ghosts would hide,
as spirits took to the sky,
and God’s children would cry,
after many years of heat,
the odd winter was a treat,
God gratefully breathed in cold air,
even though he knew the end was near,
that was his biggest fear,
as he splashed his face with rain,
he sensed the pain,
all life would fizzle,
as he lowered his head,
and against the drizzle,
he strode behind the dead.
 Pains Wouldn’t Heal *5

The angel frowned,

made no sound,
his stare lingered
toward the ground,
the child cried,
by his father’s bedside,
the angel was thinking about his father,
and the horrible way he died,
the hallucinatory vision
of it was fresh in his mind,
only it wasn’t just a hallucination,
the pains wouldn’t heal,
and he would still feel,
even after his death,
the angel closed his eyes,
held his breath,
and released the cries.
 The Devil Stared In Awe *6

The night was as dark as caves,

the hordes of spirits and ghosts
that dotted the graves,
and the grave yards vanished,
they were swallowed up
in swirling columns of darkness,
and they just ceased to exist,
the night remained eerily silent,
for all that had to be taking place,
nothing to face,
darkness stood tall.
And the devil stared in awe.
 Peaceful Realm Of Sleep *7

Worries filled her head,

so she had stretched out on her bed,
a temporary break
she would take,
but the comfortable old mattress,
claimed her,
and stole her away from fear,
however, chaos stayed near,
as she fell into
the peaceful realm of sleep,
wonderfully deep.
 All Voices Were Muted *8

The traffic light, red,

the alley rats, fed,
the boy swallowed hard,
and shook his head,
the bullets shattered his skin,
he bled,
but he looked as if he understood,
all too well,
and as if he should,
as far as he could tell,
it was a simple drive-by,
his mind prepared his soul to die,
in a few seconds all voices were muted,
but he didn’t even cry.
 Into Smoke *9

The fear was draping,

she thought about escaping,
but it was much too late,
hiding in a dark tower,
behind the devil’s gate,
she remained in a watchful crouch,
she didn’t see the lightning,
until it ripped off the roof,
it was frightening,
as she felt the attack,
she sprawled on her back,
then everything went black,
briefly,
then a power surged,
and death converged,
as her life streamed,
she screamed, and she screamed,
as th lightning bolt
cut deeply into her shoulder,
she would choke,
then quickly she evaporated into smoke.
 Gathering Dark Clouds *10

The trees covered the moon’s light,

it was a very dark night,
yet the woods were strangely silent,
as if all the night creatures
were listening to God’s whispers,
prayers coming from a deep place,
souls standing face to face,
and every time the moon
tried to sneak a peak,
it was swallowed by
the gathering dark clouds.
 God Mainly Observed *11

Even through mortality,

the vampires stood with an odd finality,
God was impressed by one facet
of their society,
they left good impressions,
there was no fighting over possessions,
they shared everything equally,
although it was very clear,
they pride themselves on fear,
keeping it close, keeping it near,
and the pain they would serve,
came in such a form you could almost hear,
as God mainly observed.
 Wolves *12

The fields were red and black,

as the wolves were on the attack,
blood seeping,
as she spotted eight more creeping
out of the forest,
and starting up the mound,
human blood stained the ground,
she could see them
rubbing their mouths
and licking their lips,
hungry, thirsty,
fulfilling a need,
looking to feed.
 A Dark Travel *13

There was so much pain,

a splash of rain
hit their faces,
these humans died
in cramped, enclosed places,
like coffins,
Ghosts waded into their midst,
waving their arms like maniacs,
then you could hear their cry,
the devil looked up,
at the darkening sky,
their souls would bleed,
souls, they would just bleed,
then there was a stampede
of ominous looking clouds,
satisfy their needs.
 The White Pine *14

During a cold winter’s day,

the sun would shine
on the white pine,
the snowy trunk
shining among its dark green needles,
over shadowing the leafless trees,
with its branches, snow covered at the tips,
swishing in the breeze,
an odd bird tosses and flips,
making the crows give a harsh cry,
then shooting up toward the sky,
waiting for the other birds to fly,
passed the clouds,
way up high.
 That Night *15

Hope was lost in the shade,

and the momentary passion would fade,
that night,
hatred spilled with all its might,
it was the tipping point,
the war had left the cities beaten and broken,
and not a word was spoken,
homes burned
as smoke filled the sky,
children huddled in masses,
much too afraid to cry,
field barren, water dirty,
livestock decimated,
humanity faded,
life paused without a cause,
poverty streamed, spirits steamed,
everywhere, restlessness and despondence,
which caused so much harm,
corpses filled with flies,
as God would spread his arms,
then his deep voice began to rise,
then he found himself screaming for mercy,
then God would cry,
as he watched all his children die.

That Night...
 The Noise...*16

It’s so piercing it could make you shout,

but no one could make it out,
it would arrive soon,
and even the ghosts had to admit
that the noise had been coming in all afternoon,
though muted by distance,
there was enough to jangle
anyone’s nerves,
ropes would dangle,
swinging in the air,
as the souls were rounded up like cattle,
the fear was near,
as tempers would rattle,
and the demons had nothing to say,
some fell to their knees,
and began to pray,
the noise had lasted almost all day.
 The Legal System Slowed *17

The accused sat stiffly in his chair,

he sensed the fear
floating on the air,
so thick like a cloud of smoke,
explanations raced,
a guilty verdict would choke
the entire legal system,
as the prosecutor paced
the cramped court room,
the jurors kept waiting,
the judge swaggered onto the bench,
huffing and puffing,
wiping sweat from the back of his neck
with a rag,
fighting to keep his anger in check,
the verdict was in,
the justice system would not win,
everyone contested,
as the crowds protested,
and the blind justice showed,
as tempers glowed,
and the legal system slowed.
 Suspiciously Silent *18

The elements had moved up

from the burning and ruined city,
it took no prisoners,
and showed no pity,
as the rains hammered the street,
and the wind blew everyone off their feet,
in the oceans the waves trembled,
but did not fall,
the water was so immense,
as it grew high and tall,
creating a monstrous wall,
and it gave the illusion of safety,
as it covered it all,
thunder sounding like bombs,
as it filled the air,
and lightning like flaming torches,
induced the fear,
scorches,
as it hits the ground,
trees tumbling down,
as God,
was keeping suspiciously silent.
 The Campers *19

They thought other campers were killed

by a wild pack of dogs,
in front of these campers were burning logs,
telling stories of the horrible creature
that was never captured,
the lead camper would almost preach,
as he’d teach,
suddenly his story was broken
by an unearthly screech,
a dark figure came leaping out of the trees,
there was a sense of harm.
The campers reacted with alarm,
but before they let out a scream
more creatures swarmed
out of the woods in streams.
 A Widening Circle Of Consequences *20

As time grew,
she knew, she just knew,
that she loved him more and more,
she stared out into the garden
where they sat the night before,
time was right,
it was never promised to anyone,
over fifty years together in that house,
the screen door was still settling slowly to,
with a quiet protest of hinges,
the wind gently blowing so free,
then she saw him lying
beside a small fruit tree,
for a moment she would freeze,
as she sensed a hot breeze,
then she hurried toward him,
but she couldn’t run,
a bullet in his chest, from his own gun,
a widening circle of consequences
to spread rapidly through the quiet
of that summer afternoon,
time tested,
As her eyes opened and rested
on the body of the man she loved,
her mind trailed off
in a slight impatient movement
the doctor gave her a day,
but if she was to go,
in life he wouldn’t stay,
her calm arrived,
but it was too late,
her beloved had died,
late that day...
 Oil *21

Oil,
the sea would spoil,
the slick contracted into a floating lump,
wildlife actually touched the substance,
it was almost like an attack,
as the oil slick touched back,
stress and anguish and so much more,
as death washed up on a black beach,
the oil slick kept washing ashore,
almost at a leisure pace,
covering everything all over the place,
the ebony pebbles crushed loudly
under humanity’s feet,
nature fought the demand,
fell to the command,
as the hermit crabs
were caught in the coarse black sand,
no warning lights flashing,
as the birds were oozing and splashing,
millions gushed before a single cap,
and the wildlife caught up in it
like a Venus fly-trap,
almost as if the oil would recoil,
and react to stimuli,
a darkness rising,
as wildlife realized their future was on hold,
as the present would unfold,
and a savior was left out in the cold,
too much oil,
and they suffocate,
common sense, blown,
as the oil slick becomes a growing sea foam.
 A Night *22

The cold rows of head stones

were oddly soothing,
and the night creatures
were trying to sound cheerful,
as the moonlight brought out their best features,
a night with the feel of hostility bristling,
made it feel all the more real,
the wind whistling,
carrying a gentle breeze,
which could bring out
the hallucinatory weirdness,
the stillness of death wouldn’t shout,
but will fall to a defeat,
and still willing to be upbeat,
so it was a night,
only bright with the moon’s light,
was in a mood to be forgiving,
accept the living,
but only in passing.
 Dark Witch *23

The dark witch,

locked in a cage,
looked as if she was going to turn
purple with rage,
her thoughts drifted,
and her eyes shifted,
almost accusingly
from the priest to the guard,
the guard sneered,
she glared,
and the priest just stared,
she slammed her face against the cage,
the guard would flinch,
but the priest didn’t move an inch.
 The Proposition *24

He stood,
not too far,
there had been the large cigar,
a walking cane of wood,
the oversize dark glasses,
an unhealthily yellow skin,
he had an odd popped belly,
but he was very thin,
expensively dressed,
everything pressed,
and the gravelly voice,
followed by the proposition,
he knew, worst of all,
that she would consider it, she’d fall,
she needed the money,
times in her life was rough,
she was vulnerable and tough,
but the bills had to be paid,
mouths to feed,
so sadly, she stayed,
because of the need,
not the proposition.
 Intensity *25

Tempers hopped,
several voices spoke at once,
then they all stopped,
the spirits looked at each other,
as if caught in a haze,
a ghost spoke crisply,
as the spirits looked a little dazed,
their eyes slightly crazed,
they kept nodding their heads,
and darting glances,
as if they were amazed,
but afraid to take chances,
in the ghost’s voice,
there was no choice,
nothing offered, nothing said,
as the living made room for the dead,
leaving nothing behind,
just intensity,
much intensity.
 The Lasso Of Light *26

Her eyes red,

darkness with the lasso of light,
rippling over her head,
staining the night,
she kicked him slightly,
but it was enough
to knock the air
out of his stomach,
and send him writhing to the ground,
she stood over him,
and made no sound,
she was wearing a long black cloak,
under which she appeared to be naked,
as the blood would soak,
and he would simply choke,
as he whimpered in pain,
and she would slowly drain,
he stayed as still as a tree trunk,
his blood leaving his body,
he fell hard, like he was drunk,
death rose,
life sunk.
 His Sanity Would Shout *27

In the darkness
he witnessed something mind curbing,
terrifying and disturbing,
a decomposed, partly eaten corpse,
insects no doubt,
his sanity would shout,
feeling his way,
the man crawled cautiously away,
death’s voice echoed,
called him into the night,
his future dim, but visions were bright,
when they challenged, he had no fight,
a bird sang, slowly,
and that was the last sound,
he felt the cold ground
quickly rushing to his face,
life was gone,
and left without leaving a single trace.
 Return Of Darkness *28

Pouring sanity down the drain,

reality lost in pain,
nothing stayed the same,
evil always in search of fame,
with the return of darkness came
the return of uncertainty,
sanity, or what was left of it,
stood expectantly,
the night sky became violent,
as the souls wandered to the edge,
feeling over-powered,
in a depressed slump,
feeling cowered,
as they took turns to jump,
the return of darkness came,
and the souls would leap over and over,
and nothing was ever the same.
 Fatalism *29

Death stoically carried children

as their spirits slept,
and through it all, Life wept,
God could hear the murmurings
of discontent behind him,
they came from the haunting grounds,
that had grown strangely quiet,
death was running from something unseen,
an invasion of dreams,
it rattles the fears,
startles the nightmares,
as life had given way to fatalism,
trapped in a haunting dream,
and there wasn’t a single scream,
death and life became an odd fit,
as humanity was certain of destruction,
and talked like they deserved it.
 A Cage *30

Life was trapped in a cage,

strong and well made,
sanity shook with rage,
but trapped in the cage, it stayed,
the moon watched in terror,
as life would react
violently to the death of freedom,
sanity, shook again,
but still intact,
it did not disintegrate,
as death would have expected,
blood dripped on the Bible’s page,
and life tried to extricate itself
from the crushed cage.
 Misguided Lunatics *31

Those misguided lunatics,

confrontation wasn’t getting them very far,
from the darkness screeched
a voice that sliced across everyone’s nerves,
it was preached,
as ghosts shrieked,
the dark angel would shout,
not knowing what it was all about,
and he saw a crush of bodies
swarming out the door,
running from spirits, ghosts,
and so much more,
their sanity cried,
as the dark angel tried
to hold them off,
with a flurry of wild punches,
he dropped to his knee,
they would not flee,
blood smeared across his face
misguided lunatics,
tried hiding behind God’s grace,
which one would set them free,
eyes closed, but they could still see,
answering to several different gods,
misguided lunatics.
 Almost Enviously *32

The Shadow in the darkness glared,

barbaric evil was declared,
ghosts, all of them formed a circle,
while demon drummers
began a slow beating,
life was crying,
as the shadow was eyeing,
almost enviously,
their position was clarified,
before they terrified,
evil was deranged,
but they had death all arranged,
and life stared, almost enviously.
 One Deep Breath *33

She fell through the door,

hunkered down on the basement floor
on a pile of dirt,
her body ached,
and she would hurt,
she simply couldn’t get up,
so on the floor she’d stay,
for more than a day,
she would also pray,
then weep,
as she fought the temptation
to drift off to sleep,
she knew somebody would come,
her nurse, her children, grandchildren,
someone,
her head would ache,
so she had to stay awake,
in her thoughts she heard cries,
as she was prying open her eyes
with her fingers,
she heard the door latch turning,
her tired eyes were burning,
then she took one deep breath,
when the door finally opened,
it wasn’t a savior, it was death.
 Then More Rain *34

The old man prowled

the top of the mountain impatiently,
keeping out a sharp eye,
as the clouds invaded the dark sky,
he knelt at the far end,
there the cold air would bend,
taking inventory of his sanity,
as the intermittent thunder was heard,
and the glassy lightning lit up the sky,
he heard voices followed by a weak cry,
he rose to his feet,
a lonely tear in his eye,
his face pale, gone with the heat,
his body cold,
wrinkles fold,
between the row of clouds,
a figure was moving so fluidly,
A dark shadow was cast,
as he revisited his past,
first mist,
pain,
finally rain,
and then more rain.
 Impressive Parade *35

Lonely Angels prayed,

music played,
it was indeed a funeral,
but it felt more like an impressive parade,
a reassuring performance to those
in the neighborhood who craved reassurance,
it was in the July heat,
when the code of the street
was abandoned,
and the dealers and dopers,
readily offer up to the police
whatever information they had,
most of it useless, and sad,
some of it incoherent,
but they were touched by a death,
the murder of a saint,
an entire city held its breath,
for that man who lived in one battered,
shattered,
beleaguered row-house slum,
but he didn’t care,
his friends were near,
and that chased away all the fear.
 A Collective Delusion *36

We look up toward the sky,

and our emotions would fly,
as we ask God to take from us the dangers,
torments, diseases that we created,
all religions heated,
as God remained seated,
we bow down,
first, hands high,
then it touches the ground,
we want to feel those spiritual lifts,
as we bring offerings and gifts,
we pray before we sleep,
we are then guided to a savior like sheep,
it’s a false sense of relief,
all with one purpose,
simply to demonstrate our belief.
 Holy Spirit *37

There was the sound of rushing wind,

people are hearing his word,
a message delivered, a message heard,
there was decency
and order in the church,
a holy direction,
faith in the resurrection,
the good, the bad, the small and tall,
all knew,
what God could show and do,
his spirit is the wind,
the bible is fire,
and fire is holy,
but not terrifying, but glorifying,
they burst forth from that encounter,
joyous cries,
a holy spirit lit the skies.
 Violence Rolled Across Her *38

The thoughts couldn’t live,

of course,
and it just died away,
so much to say,
but nothing came out,
she wanted to scream and shout,
she couldn’t even utter a word,
all the thoughts that ran through her mind,
not a single mutter was heard,
she experienced a queasy feeling
in the pit of her stomach,
as she anticipated what was coming,
violence rolled across her,
and wiped everything out.
 Then Victory *39

Insanity had gain entrance and made a demand,

it was the presence of a demon
that spoke that command,
his face pale,
his breath stale,
as a vile smell of death approached,
and anger came in so many stages,
he had uncontrollable rages,
urges to commit murder,
his sanity felt the loss,
as he stared, almost glared
at a wooden cross,
suspended in mid-air,
actually giving him choices,
it cleared from his mind
all the evil voices,
one evil demon,
expelled,
then victory.
 Corrugated Ceiling *40

She had dried blood on her head,

thinking and settling back in her bed,
staring at the corrugated ceiling,
dirty and not too appealing,
it was her fate,
as she thought about being homeless
was probably like a clean slate,
disturbing circumstances was her theory,
suddenly feeling very weary,
thinking about her next meal,
her next bath,
how would she feel,
if she fell into another raw deal,
and that freed the part of her mind
that was keeping her awake,
her eyes closed,
her thoughts would shake,
her stomach would ache,
her heart would break,
her mind would weep,
as she fell asleep.
 Death By Design *41

First,
the overwhelming hostility,
followed by a heavy thirst,
and the shimmering outline of a ghost,
and what terrified most,
was how the violence was highlighted,
a horrific sight,
caught by light,
death by design,
for everyone to see,
a detailed image of slaughter,
would set insanity free,
to roam without being supported,
life distorted,
and death reported,
in very large numbers,
would blow your mind,
death by design,
would only have an irritated reply,
when there will be no time to die.
 A Dark Heart *42

His emotions would rattle,

his sanity herded in like cattle,
face to face with a demonic image,
his physical deterioration was marked,
he felt an odd sensation,
blood dripping, tension gripping,
sanity flipping, his heart dipping,
his eyes still had that look
of burning determination,
his pupils shook,
and he had dark circles under them,
the demon spoke in sharp, clipped sentences,
as if he really didn’t want to waste time,
the fear was near,
and life became insignificant,
the demon would then share,
when his soul was ripped apart,
leaving a shadow holding a dark heart.
 Hide And Stay *43

The faraway chatter of voices,

just accentuate the fear,
it wasn’t as if she had many choices,
but she knew death was near,
her heart pounded along,
with those distant voices,
almost like an out of tune song,
she had to make a decision,
should she stay there,
or hide somewhere?
She bent over to catch her breath,
wishing she could do both,
anything to avoid death,
hide and stay,
but it just didn’t work out that way,
sadly...
 She *44

Perfection, and there was no mistake,

there was lush greenery far off to her left and right,
the trees would drink from the lake,
and she was such a beautiful sight,
her beauty would show through her silhouette,
as the angel looked at her
like Romeo looks at Juliet,
his gaze traveled up two legs,
slim torso,
and right up into her eyes,
soft and blue,
his adrenaline would rise,
as her beauty filled the skies,
and her emotions blessed by the wise,
as she would bring hope
to those who labored in the dark,
so that they could cope
with any burden,
around her the miracles would bend,
as if they had a life of their own,
oh, she was truly a godsend,
even though humanity had fears,
she never allowed tears,
she just craned her neck and absorbed their pain,
as she washed it all away with Heaven’s rain.
 A Cheerful Euphemism *45

After the examination,

she felt a certain degree of anticipation,
sitting in the doctor’s office,
drumming her fingers on the table,
she stared ahead,
and tried once again,
no matter what was said,
to frame exactly how she would reply,
when the most important news
stepped through the door,
she would have no worries
when the doctor took the floor,
her nerves were thin,
and she stood, out of respect,
as the doctor walked in,
a cheerful euphemism,
which lasted a while,
no cancer,
and the doctor would smile.
 An Intriguing Path Of Thought *46

Humans,
they were an attractive race,
with a certain degree of grace,
but as a whole,
they were not the sturdiest,
war-like, bent on destruction,
they were physically and mentally
capable of construction,
but destruction was what they did best,
which God thought was curious,
considering what they were capable
of doing with their minds,
they could protect with their intellect,
and all problems would be address
with progress,
all which kept God
on an intriguing path of thought,
what were humans really all about,
she he end creation,
or just ride it out?
 War Zone *47

The war zone would empty out,

all the screams,
the shouts,
the fears,
rang in God’s ears,
the sounds of screams and running feet,
nightmares,
lonely tears,
God had to take control,
he had to do something,
but first things first,
he saw crushed and broken bones
scattered all over,
the pains and the groans,
were the sounds that filled the skies,
the weeping the cries
watered the earth,
God’s eyes took in all the damage,
the damage that would take,
and make no mistake,
forever to clean up.
 He Waited... *48

He waited...
No art, no cleverness,
and no strategy,
he hated,
fingers grasping,
as he felt the heat,
posing on the balls of his feet,
there was no sound,
as he stood his ground,
knees bent slightly,
firm, stiff upper back,
he waited,
for the next demon to attack
 Twisted In Horror *49

All emotions drained,

the beast turned on him,
fury barely contained,
suddenly there was a sharp
high pitched whine,
and his face twisted in horror,
blood dripping from the beast’s claw,
and that was the first thing he saw,
he looked down and the full truth,
the full terror of it,
began to dawn,
more blood drawn,
and all compassion was gone,
when the full nauseating terror
managed to completely penetrate,
death failed to demonstrate,
he began to shriek in words
incomprehensible,
the beast would glare,
he was incoherent with fear,
and the end was near.
 That One Ship *50

The winds couldn’t tip

that one ship,
near the coast,
one ghost,
the ship would drift,
the ghost was swift,
it was a prelude to hostilities,
violating the spirit world,
feeding them silent messages,
that one ship floats,
the terror behind it coats,
the ghost on its knee,
together they became orphans of the sea.
 Disturbing The Tranquility *51

The sadness,
the grief,
his head shook
in utter disbelief,
the dead,
and the walls red,
riddled with holes,
ghosts disturbing the tranquility,
haunting spirits glared,
he just stared,
no one feared
the spirits swaggering,
the ghosts staggering,
trying to get out,
as th voices in his head
began to shout.
 Ghostly Blacksmith *52

The haunting image working in the night,

on the splits, and cracks,
working on the train tracks,
hammering and pausing,
pausing and hammering,
hammering again in the darkness
until the metal shaft bent,
and all the ghost trains were sent,
as the large nails snapped,
but the hammering continued to tap,
the ghostly image paused after each bang,
while spirits above him sang,
songs from an old chain gang,
certain that the clang
of metal had been heard,
a pause,
then back to work like some ghostly blacksmith,
for whatever cause.
 Waiting Patiently *53

She took notice,

his words offered defeat,
she expressed herself,
and her remarks were made without heat,
but nevertheless, his lips thinned
in mild annoyance,
but accepting defeat was a cure,
he was certain, he was sure,
without fear, he stood there,
in the midst of all the activity,
he sensed that peace was near,
as the enemy looked like ants
swarming over a particularly
enticing bit of leftover food,
although peace would be the outcome,
he didn’t feel too good,
but surrendering was understood,
waiting patiently, he stood.
 Once A Great Soldier *54

He was a powerful man,

once a great soldier,
he held the highest command,
he lost his limbs at war,
and people felt sorry for him,
it was humiliating,
he didn’t want sorrow or pity,
coming from the people,
right from his own city,
they whispered and talked,
as they pointed and walked,
it angered him more
then he would have thought possible,
once a vibrant man,
he was in a wheel-chair, trapped,
he was starting to sweat
as he snapped,
once a great soldier...
 Quaking With Fear *55

Lost in the woods,

as he walked by a marked tree,
the young child fell to the ground,
and the night was as dark as can be,
he then heard an unpleasant sound,
he struggled with his sight,
but he couldn’t see,
he had tripped over
some termite infested logs,
then the sounds came,
it was a pack of wild dogs,
then the truth revealed itself,
the darkness blanketed the skies,
but he knew he was looking at wolves
right in the eyes,
pains rushed to his side,
there was no where to hide,
quaking with fear,
he realized,
death was near.
 Aggression *56

All tied up around the house,

the victims were as quiet as a mouse,
the leader of the intruders was thoughtfully
fingering a double-bladed sword
that was mounted on the wall,
it wasn’t a weapon, but an award,
as caution would slowly call,
the victims sensed the intruders’ instincts,
it screams that they are not to be trusted,
it was a prelude to hostilities,
aggression,
and blood to be spilled at some point.
 Was It Worth It? *57

The ghost stood,

covered his face with a dark hood,
and walked quickly out
of the devil’s chambers,
when the stone door closed,
the ghost leaned back,
felt his senses attack,
if he weren’t dead, he’d die,
so he released a trembling sigh,
wondering how much of his soul
he’d just sold off
in the hopes of being reborn,
his spirit torn,
then he’d sit,
just sit,
and again wondering,
was it worth it?
 He Smelled The Fear *58

Reality was breaking,

all around,
she tried to will her right hand to stop shaking,
she willed it with all her might,
she steadied it with her left,
held the gun between both,
fit both index fingers
inside the trigger guard,
her sanity wouldn’t last,
her breath was coming fast,
and she could hardly believe
he couldn’t hear it,
that and the pounding of her heart,
sanity would sit,
as her reality fell apart,
he smelled the fear,
it was near,
she reeked of it,
her palms sweaty, her mind hot,
she closed her eyes, pulled the trigger,
and she shot...
 Line Of No Retreat *59

Haunting images would stare,

lights in the sky would flare,
and when the demon walked in,
darkness would stare,
the insanity was staggering,
the demon was utterly confident, swaggering,
the spirits ambled toward him,
arms dangling, relaxed,
and that’s all it took,
the world shook,
and ghosts would look,
the demon had a lopsided sneer,
that induced trauma and fear,
and the spirits were certain
that it was indicative of total contempt,
but there was no attempt,
even when the demon reached choking distance,
sanity preached,
and the ghosts rose to their feet,
so the demon stopped short
of that mentally drawn line of no retreat.
 In Stagnant, Fetid Air *60

Heat was the main reason,

more than any other season,
summer held its own special horrors,
a single word would not be uttered,
an old woman in the clutter
of a basement apartment,
number 2-B,
when the door opened, flies would flee,
she had no face,
it was a decomposed case,
cooking in her own oil for a week,
her flesh would reek,
as her life gave way
to a rolling mass of maggots,
ghosts would shout and scream,
as the curses rise and fall,
a haunting dream,
as darkness made its call,
and the fear remained there,
with the temperature
in stagnant, fetid air.
 Dead On Arrival *61

Life would fall to defeat,

in the summer heat,
dead on arrival,
a casualty for no other reason,
then that he tried to intervene
when an old woman was getting a beating
at the scene,
while she was waiting for the bus,
it was an argument over a seating,
emotions would scatter,
tempers would flare,
over something that didn’t matter,
and death stood there,
dead on arrival,
a casualty for no other reason...
 She Was Alone *62

What he had in mind was almost hard to swallow,

but he would continue to follow,
her voice had its usual dreamy innocence,
she was young and acceptably attractive,
he had been watching her,
stalking,
as she continued walking,
his madness was bewildered and intrigued,
she had the vulnerability of ambition,
and he had a need,
greed,
revenge, perhaps,
but into his insanity it would feed,
she was alone, sadly,
and very capable of being alone,
he would follow, gladly,
because she was far from family and home.
 The Almond Blossoms *63

The strength of the wind grew,

ever so slightly,
and the sky was neither dark or blue,
it was an odd red,
it looked cold like the dead,
and it was said
that the witch hunter watched unmoved,
when the death sentence on any unfortunate witch
who had offended him was carried out,
the fears from heaven would shout,
a powerful eunuch beheaded the crouching,
trembling witch with one stroke of his axe,
and the grounds ran with blood,
as the crows fluttered,
the onlookers stuttered,
and the wind stirred the almond blossoms,
justice was done.
 Crime Scene *64

The crime scene was mainly the car,

with the victim slumped in the backseat,
emotions did not go far,
the body looked like unpackaged meat,
her skirt and bra hiked up to display
a chest and stomach marked by a dozen
or more vertical stab wounds,
the police could feel the heat,
and on the floor of the backseat,
the killer had dumped the contents
of the victim’s purse,
indicating an apparent robbery,
her ghost would curse,
beyond that, there was no physical evidence
in the car,
no fingerprints, no fibers, no hairs,
just exploding emotions, and fears,
no witnesses and no tears.
 Irritable Spirit *65

The spirit needed a human body,

he was driven to that cause,
any human body,
still and stiff and void of all life force,
he would take it any way,
certain that death would stay,
he needed a body to call,
so he searched for a body to fall,
he needed that body shot,
stabbed, bludgeoned, battered,
he would take it hung, or even shattered,
otherwise rendered inoperative
through any act of human intervention,
without any comprehension,
the irritable spirit needed a murder,
someone to fulfill, a kill,
then the irritable spirit bounced,
from a stabbing to an overdose,
waiting earnestly for some thing,
anything...
 An Act *66

It was carnal lust,

climax was a must,
strangers caught up with desire,
the bed was on fire,
sheets on the floor,
and the dark stranger wanted more,
it was an act of passion
without compassion,
no name,
and with every thrust,
bodies would flame,
then the act was done,
payment of 200 dollars for fun,
left on the night-stand,
it was her only demand.
 As The Stars Do *67

The ghosts began to move around,

softly, gently and with no sound,
turning in a circle
as the stars do
around the earth,
far off at first,
but then getting near,
such a wonderful sight to see,
but one that you would never hear.
 Line Of Faces *68

A path to heaven was cleared,

many ghosts cheered,
there were no fears,
as the trumpet split the shining air,
their ears,
filled with wonderful sounds,
as the spirits left the graves,
and their rotting flesh beneath the ground,
it was a parade going upward,
so that their souls could be saved,
and it would never be too late
as a line of faces
rushed toward the gate,
then, all at once,
God let them in,
cleansed their souls
of every single sin.
 Whispers In His Ears Popped *69

Everything in his mind burned,

a slight movement was made,
so he turned,
a door creaked open,
whispers in his ears popped,
then he stopped,
death glared,
he stared,
and death turned away,
he felt mild relief that day.
 One By One They Paused *70

The stars in the sky would sway,

the music would play,
then the music quickened,
and the voices closed in,
songs of saints and songs of sin,
the words swooped down,
toward the ground,
like a flight of swallows,
then the music slowed,
the stars glowed,
one by one they paused,
waiting behind a cloud,
not too quiet, but not too loud,
and very, very proud.
 A Self Proclaimed Witch *71

Her eyes would twitch,

she was a self proclaimed witch,
fear and desperation,
it was what she was facing,
her pulse was racing,
and she could feel her blood
pounding in her temples,
she was starting to perspire,
her soul was hot,
and her mind was on fire,
she would hear a groan,
and death came in with a low moan,
she tried to look away,
but he took the point of her chin
in his hand and brought her eye to eye,
her emotions were thin,
and she did everything, but cry,
she pulled at her dress,
her hair was a mess,
soaked through with sweat,
and it was sticking to her forehead,
moments later, her life had ended,
violently, and she was completely dead.
 Endlessly Repeated *72

Nothing Unique,
repetition
was the necessary technique,
it helps the followers
become accustomed to whatever
ideas the devil was attempting to inculcate,
it was a demon’s trait,
and it became the followers’ fate,
the more a concept was reiterated
the more persuasive,
and influential it became,
sin activities were the same,
as Adolf Hitler declared in Mein Kampf,
only after the simplest ideas
are repeated thousands of times,
will the masses finally remember them.
 A Hanging *73

He was very thin,

his bones would penetrate,
as the wind on his skin
made him shiver,
made his flesh prickle and goose,
but his mind was free and loose,
as he waited beneath the noose,
he would hear the dead chant,
it was part eerie and part nursery rhyme,
rattling along to the beat of his heart,
in fragments, and in parts,
time passed,
the chanting continued,
he could hear it,
ghosts repeated the words,
it was all that he heard,
he didn’t know what it was about,
and they would stop,
when his mouth began to dry out,
when his tongue was dry,
and even if he wanted to,
he couldn’t shout,
the weight of the air
still allowed him, without fear,
to fill his lungs,
he breathed until he could
hold himself up no more,
he closed his eyes and fell back,
the fear would finally attack,
and he could no longer see,
as he hung lifeless from the tree.
 No Cure *74

They could not treat the symptoms,

nausea, headaches, cramps, pain,
it was insane,
and the insanity was pure,
no vaccine, and no cure,
God’s stoic expression
and humanity’s agonized faces,
a rare disease,
life for death it would trade,
as it affected all races,
and the spirits could barely
put coherent thoughts together,
the church bells rang,
songbirds sang,
and death shrieked,
it backed away
as if life had suddenly grown fangs,
the night dark, the sun hot,
death was natural,
but the disease was not.
 Right? *75

He closed his eyes,

and released a trembling sigh,
spirits would dance,
like the stars in the sky,
the white angel had a chance
to return to a human life,
the devil offered him that chance
to enter the light,
he wouldn’t have to kill to live, right?
It was the darkest time of night,
he wouldn’t sacrifice someone else, right?
But life is what the devil would give,
if he chose to live
amongst the humans,
but he had to end someone’s life,
his emotions would fade,
because it was a trade,
his thoughts were stumbling,
his hands tumbling,
and with heaven’s sharpest knife,
the white angel took that life.
 Endless Memorial *76

He didn’t sleep
as he ignored his internal clock,
the path was becoming slippery,
there was ice on the rock,
the moon above him glittered
through the ice crystals in the air,
he would move along without fear,
darkness was diffusing the moonlight,
it was indeed, a beautiful sight,
he could hear the echos of tiny noises,
he could hear the noise that the dust
makes as it settles,
he could hear crystalized flower peddles,
and he could hear even the slightest tear,
or whatever came near,
it was like an endless memorial
for a God that was forgotten here.
 Impassive *77

Life torn,
destruction born,
the bodies were ripped to pieces,
chunk by chunk
he flung them into the coals of the fire,
flames grew higher,
as he watched the meat crumple and blacken,
and some became orange meat,
as it failed against the heat,
he watched the maggots shrivel,
and brown and burn,
he wouldn’t close his eyes or turn,
and he had not moved since,
he wouldn’t flinch
he watched without a moving a muscle,
not a finger, not a hair,
he just stared,
his eyes glared,
his hands were very red,
and his expression was very impassive,
as he just watched the countless dead.
 Their Shadows Were In Motion *78

Slowly she turned,

the vampire was thirsty,
sometimes living people burned
steadily in her mind like candles,
sometimes they flamed like torches,
and sometimes she was their guiding light,
she had thirst so strangely,
as she welcomed in the night,
she had choices,
as she heard the voices,
but many wouldn’t put up a fight,
there were so many of them waiting there,
walking without fear,
she had hoped,
then, to see a spark of raw emotion,
but sadly, only their shadows were in motion.
 Feeling Significant *79

The weather was nice,

the skies were clear,
as the witch stood there,
feeling significant,
filled with delight and cheer,
and when the child walked up
to her and greeted,
she felt so well treated,
her devotion to the child
caused her to waver,
if anyone tried to kill the witch,
she knew he would try to save her,
his presence did not break her concentration.
 A Meaningless Word *80

As the witches walked by,

the villagers talked,
and the flames from torches shook,
the women, in particular,
gave a sympathetic look,
they were walking slowly toward death,
almost in military paces,
as the villagers held sorrowful faces,
it was pasted on them like cheap jewelry,
some really felt sorry for the witches,
who were going to burn tomorrow,
but the witches wanted no pity nor sorrow,
they just wanted to live,
and that’s one thing the witch hunters couldn’t give,
and slowly the witches started to resent the villagers,
resent them for their attitudes,
and their damnable pity,
and for their lives,
the lives they would continue to have,
long after the witches are gone,
a haunting chant filled their heads
and also visions of the dead
were seen,
in realty not in a dream,
and the spirts were heard,
while life just became a meaningless word.
 Complete Misery *81

Life was going to be difficult,

so he was told,
his cheeks numb from the cold,
sweating beneath layers of coats,
shoes soaked by slush,
he had no where to go,
there was no rush,
as the hunger would grow,
carrying the bags of cans
into a dimly lit alley-way,
no future, no plans,
age attacked him quicker,
as his skin would wrinkle and fold,
in the summer it was too hot,
and the winter was too cold,
he sat in the alley for a time,
his face frozen into an expression
of complete misery,
holding his breath,
waiting for death.
 A Black Bird *82

Several days after the village was bombed,

God walked amongst the littered bodies,
a black bird half turned,
sifting through bodies half burned,
the black bird pulled a strip of raw meat
from a dead man’s ribs,
it wasn’t cooked thoroughly by the heat,
as the black bird flew off into the trees,
didn’t realize that God sees,
as the red strip dangling from its beak
was only a clear sign of the weak,
humanity failed to speak,
and death is what life would seek,
God looked at all the dead,
the black bird cawed from the edge of the clearing,
not enough was said,
as God fought back the tearing.
 Nobody Saw It *83

The dark angels would sit,

the war had begun
and nobody saw it,
the storm was lowering,
and nobody knew it,
nothing was said,
a dark demon on earth was found dead,
claws through the heart,
and that was just a start,
it didn’t take much,
his face was untouched,
but the back of his head
was completely destroyed,
the sky was dark and the moon red,
winged angels deployed,
the war had begun,
and nobody saw it.
 War Near *84

Blood, battle, war,

is what he would crave,
as the white angel made a dismissive wave,
it angered the dark angel,
his eyes bloodshot,
and he saw double,
he was always expecting trouble,
even when there seemed little likelihood,
his hatred for peace
was as dark as night,
but he thirsted battles,
he would rage and rattle,
he just wanted to fight,
he would make that declaration,
and he’d make it clear,
keeping peace at a distance,
and war near.
 Pain Clouding His Features *85

The soldiers were silent,

their wounded companion struggled to his feet,
it was a battle that ended in defeat,
he staggered past the leader of the group,
howling like a wounded pig,
his reserves tested,
his eyes rested,
a look of pain clouding his features,
in moments he had disappeared
into the darkness.
 No Hope *86

He lost all trust,

pain is what he felt,
his face covered in dust,
he had shoe strings for a belt,
there was a long scar
on his cheek that traveled far,
from his right eye
down his face,
pale and dry,
until it disappeared
into the tangle of his beard,
he had made a noose from a rope,
he would sit,
then he thought about it,
and realized he just had no hope.
 Boring Into Darkness *87

Chills stirred in the bone,

his face was as cold as stone,
and his eyes were full of poison,
and he just wanted to be left alone,
his eyes boring into darkness,
for the briefest of moments,
his heart would wrench,
his stomach would clench,
forgetting the sanity,
and losing to insanity,
suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
 Sin Was Sin *88

Sin was sin,

as the devil walked in,
your soul would stay,
and your flesh became his clay,
your blood his paint,
your mind his saint,
sin was sin,
as the devil walked in,
the souls waiting to be damned was growing,
and there was simply no slowing,
sin was sin...
 A Soul Looked Down *89

It was so dim he could barely see,

a shot fired, a thump and a pound,
he fell quickly to the ground,
after the attack,
a soul looked down,
and a dead man stared back,
his features masked by caked blood,
a bullet hole was visible on the right side of his head,
and a larger exit wound on the left,
as the soul peered,
it knew the man was dead.
 Soldiers Sat Stiffly *90

The odds were not promising,

and that fact was very clear,
the soldiers sat stiffly,
as if bolted to their chairs,
weathering the storm,
and the drama that it could form,
shaking off the fears,
that was very far, but coming near,
they were poised to stand quickly,
if need be,
as far as they could see,
they were to attack lethally,
if it was required,
so the soldiers sat stiffly.
 Still Dark *91

During the darkness

the ghosts walked down
the pews of the holy church,
they couldn’t hear a sound,
it was silent and empty
with its still-dark
stained glass windows all around,
no devotional activities,
or dead leaving the ground,
no praying,
no children playing,
no laughter, no singing,
no church bells ringing,
ghosts filled the house of worship
and for all eternity, they will be staying.
 Horror Was Near *92

The fear blanketed the air,

and horror was near,
she heard the snapping of twigs,
and spun quickly,
so fast that she almost lost her balance
and fell,
but she recovered immediately,
throwing her arms out to either side,
her emotions would ride,
and her sanity would hide,
and that was when a figure,
who’d been watching her,
stepped out of the shadow
of an old oak tree,
the horror was near.
And the darkness was all she would see.
 A Vague Awareness *93

Sanity and insanity fought,

all of his thoughts,
his conflicts,
wrestled each other for dominance in his brain,
he was able to turn off the sounds and sights,
he was able to avoid the bright lights,
he had only a vague awareness
of the people standing by,
the voices in his head would cry,
ghosts and souls would dance,
and he suddenly snapped out of a trance,
realizing he had just operated on
some desperate child fighting to breathe,
the nurse shook her head,
taking a step closer,
he realized that the child was dead.
 With A Smile *94

He laughed,
she laughed,
as their hearts would race,
love is what they faced,
then they kissed and embraced,
they started to fall asleep,
warmth so deep,
in each other’s arms and parted,
love filled their dreams,
and it all started
with a smile.
 The Light Dies *95

Like an animal
she’d sit in a cage,
empty heart, broken soul,
and no more rage,
as she watched him,
a man of uncertain age,
he walked without grace,
a slender body of a youth,
and a smooth face,
an insanity expression
in his obliquely set eyes,
finally, the sun went down,
and the light dies.
 Lonely, With Rats *96

Her emotions would stream,

she could kick, cry and scream,
as much as she wanted,
she was given that choice,
because the sloshing of the waves
against the rocks swallowed her voice,
lonely, with rats,
as her insanity would sadly coat,
her reality choked,
shipwrecked, soaked,
then sadly, she cut her own throat.
 An Act Of Betrayal *97

The wind makes no sound,

the effect of the illusion is profound,
distorting as it does the natural hostility
between hunter and hunted,
transforming it until it resembles a relationship,
quite transfixed,
more symbiotic than adversarial,
then everything would fall in place,
everything would tie,
leaving out the trace,
but that is the lie,
reality is erased,
and when the roles are perfectly performed,
deceit surpasses itself,
and hits like a storm,
becoming manipulation on a grand scale,
and ultimately an act of betrayal
 A Carefully Controlled Purgatory * 98

There,
in a carefully controlled purgatory,
the guilty tells a story,
some proclaim their malefactions,
though rarely in any form
that allows for contrition or resembles
an unequivocal admission,
no real submission,
what occurs is indeed a carefully staged drama,
lost facts and omission,
sometimes a choreographed performance
without light and sound,
that allows the dark demon,
and the sinner to find common ground
where none exists.
 Stage Two *99

A Cold sweat,
a cold, cold sweat,
a sweaty palm,
he was fumbling,
trying to remain calm,
his mind was stumbling,
his stomach grumbling,
but fear was fear,
at least a half a million Americans alone
die from cancer a year,
his thoughts trailing,
his health failing,
stage two,
he knew...
 The Witness *100

The witness,
was too drunk to identify his own reflection,
much less the murderer who had the knife,
it was in the park,
much too dark,
a drink or two,
so he stated,
but in pretrial detention, they knew,
the witness,
eyes soaked with innocence,
witless.