Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Someone's riding for a fall.
From behind the darkened glass
Eyes of midnight watch you pass.
Shadows shiver, whisper, creep.
Remembered horror haunts your sleep.
Hide behind the candle flame.
Lie and say you're still the same,
No darker, having faced the night.
No harder, having joined the fight.
No coldness in your soul shall rise.
No evil's touched you. Weave your lies
And with your slight of hand deceive
Those who love you and believe.
Mirror, mirror, dark and bright,
Someone's soul is mine tonight.
 

H.E.A.T. To-Do Lists.

_Up at five and check the feeds._
(Brew the coffee Nicky needs.)
:Note to self, plan next attack:
:To once again pay hacker back.:
*Jefe's project, must plan date,*
*(Monique'll kill me if I'm late).*
/Lizard-watch was not my wish,/
/I did not sign on for buying fish./
_Audrey interviews at nine._
(Someone ELSE calls Hicks this time.)
*Sweep up glass from latest prank.*
:Find out what that was that stank.:
/Mutation found in Borneo./
We all drop everything and go!
 

Final Light

The light at the end of the world
Casts no shadows.
No darkness on the ground,
All brightness in the air.
And it is cold, and bright, and blue,
And holds within it memory and dream.
There within the brilliance waits
Whatever you have loved,
And you will never be alone again.
People say you see the light,
But it's not true.
The light sees YOU.
 

Running Silver

In running you forget.
Let the pavement unspool beneath your feet.
Leave behind the danger,
Leave behind the fear.
Here, you are no different from the rest.
But no, that's not true.
Deep inside, it lurks,
The power waiting to explode,
To push you to the edge of speed itself,
And run without a thought of stopping
Until the wind itself blows out.
Let it go.
Be one with the earth and sky.
Your problems will be waiting
At the far end of the line,
But until then, there's just you and the road.
 

Burning Gold

Hold it in, or let it go?
The rage is both your enemy and friend.
It powers you to heights of valor,
But the fires will consume you, in the end.
Feed the flames, and you may triumph.
At least you'll see him fall.
And once the battle's won, what happens
Won't matter much at all.
Or choose to turn your back on hate,
And it will not make you as strong.
But even though the fire burns cooler,
At least it will be burning long.
A final choice is coming.
To which fate will you aspire?
To light the coming future or
To go out within the fire?
 

Purple Skies

For there is joy in flight
Such as mere mortals never knew.
To slip the chains of gravity
And rise.
To leave behind the squabbles
Of the petty and the few,
And rise.
But there will always be a battle,
Such is the price of flight.
And there are times it grows
Oh, far too much to bear.
And in the end,
There is no choice but one.
Until that day, though,
Mount up to the clouds,
And dart, and play,
And dream to touch the sun.

Chiaroscuro

Two sides of a coin,
The dark and the light,
Two sets of armor,
The black and the white.
_Shadows come to me and rise!_
_Darkness at my beck and call._
_This is my power and destiny_
_To lay to waste, destroy it all._
_I am power beyond compare!_
_Come and face me if you dare!_
Two sides of a coin,
Linked deep inside,
Nowhere to run,
Nowhere to hide.
*I can't believe I'm doing this!*
*I've gotta be out of my mind.*
*I'm up against the worst of dreams,*
*So scared I'm almost going blind!*
*But sometimes you gotta risk it all,*
*And I WON'T be the one to fall!*
Two sides of a coin,
Two paths that are crossed,
And should the light win,
Then both will be lost.
 

Obsession

They ask me why I'm losing sleep,
Why my eyes let darkness creep
Behind them. Why I pace the night
And won't lie down within the light.
It's not that easy, so I say.
There is no light can chase away
These images that sport and play.
Sometimes nightmares walk by day.
They tell me just to let it go,
But if it was over, I would know.
They worry, whisper, wonder, wait,
And I would that I could shrug off fate.
It's not that easy, so I say.
There is no light can chase away
These images that sport and play.
Sometimes nightmares walk by day.
And so I wake, and watch the sky,
As darkened hours go slipping by,
And know there's battle still to be.
Showdown at last, just him and me.
It's not that easy, so I say.
There is no light can chase away
These images that sport and play.
Sometimes nightmares walk by day.
 

Ghost's Song

Do not weep for me, my love,
My shroud is wet with tears.
I slip between the dark and light,
I'm neither there nor here.
I drift along the hall, half-seen,
Too subtle for the eye,
And hover there, reflected
In every drop you cry.
I am nothing now but scraps
Of dream and memory.
I am but a shadow, love,
So do not grieve for me.
 

Snake Oil

A gleaming smile and a silver tongue,
Easy charm and a handy gun,
And eyes that give no sign, no clue
To the man behind. Nothing but blue.
He weaves a web of truth and lies,
Shadows and light to blind your eyes.
But fairy gold fades with the dawn.
The web dissolves, and he is gone.
Hard to catch, first here, then there,
But in the end, well worth the wear
Of winning trust. Worth more than gold,
More fragile than glass, like water to hold.
Heart of gold-- gold's not so tough.
A heart should be made of sterner stuff
To weather all life's cuts and blows.
So bury it deep, where no one goes.
Perfect image, perfect face,
Perfect angel, perfect grace.
Spin for your friends the perfect con;
Your life's a lie-- and life goes on.
 

Chaos Blue

Disorder has a color.
It's blue.
The color of electricity,
Of lightning in the highest clouds.
Blue
Like the sky of summer
When the smells of heat and ozone
Hail the coming storm.
And blue
Like a too familiar light
In a sparkling pair of eyes.
Entropy on legs,
Chaos and cigars.
The man's a force of nature
And the safest place to be
Is right behind.
And when the storm is over,
The sky is clear, and brilliant
Chaos blue.
 

Pilot's Song

In the air is freedom.
Leave behind the pain
And confusion there
On the ground.
There,
You wear a hundred different faces
To keep the pain away,
But here among the clouds
You can be no one at all.
Silver wings in sunlight,
Air rushing in blue.
No thoughts beyond the line
Of the horizon.
But each flight has a destination
And the pain comes down again.
With only masks, and dreams,
And three strong voices
Keeping it at bay.
 

Plane Speech

Not this time; I know this game.
You ain't gonna get me on no plane!
Don't drug my milk, 'cause I won't drink--
I'm gonna pour it down the sink.
Won't turn my back on none of you,
And it don't matter what you do,
You'll all be in a world of pain
If you try and put me on that plane!
Face, put down that two-by-four.
That plan ain't gonna work no more.
Hannibal, got that look in your eye
You think you're gonna make me fly!
My feet ain't gonna leave the ground!
Hey, why's that fool nowhere around?
And why's the sky all going dark?
And-- Hey, who shot me with this dart?
_Okay, he's out, guys, time to go._
(He'll kill us when he wakes, you know.)
_Relax, Face, worry not a bit._
_I'm sure you'll talk him out of it._
 

Hope Springs Eternal

Maybe next time.
Climb back in your car.
Pretend you don't hear
Them laughing once again.
You must admit, it's funny.
How many has it been?
How many times have you been left
Coughing in the dust?
Fate may be trying to tell you something.
But you never listen, right?
Put the car in gear
And laugh a little at yourself
On your way back home.
Maybe next time, Rod,
Maybe someday.
But definitely not today.

Coyote's Song

Come closer; see the dreams I weave.
It's magic-- nothing up my sleeve.
I spin my tale, then take my leave.
The power comes when you believe.
Illusions going for a song!
Hurry, for they won't last long,
And faith in dreams will make you strong,
And love will never steer you wrong.
The desert stars are clear and bright,
The desert moon is full tonight,
And paints the lonely sands with light.
Come run with me, and learn of flight.
Don't trust in beauty-- soon it dies.
Don't always trust in your own eyes.
Don't trust in night; the sun will rise.
Don't trust in me, for I sing lies.
What the trick and what is real?
Can you trust in what you feel?
Do the facts the truth reveal,
Or like a cloud of dust, conceal?
Can you believe in what I say?
Beware of faith once giv'n away
In vain-- but do not fear to play.
Follow your heart, and chase the day.
 

Memento Mori

Dust gathers on the cluttered shelves,
Untouched save for the years,
Mementoes of the soaring joys,
Solid memories of tears.
A life reduced to photographs
And tiny souvenirs
Of places been and dreams fulfilled,
Echoes of hopes and fears.
Inexpensive trifles, all, and yet
The whole is oh so dear
That with testimony mute proclaims
"Look well; for I was here."
 

Shinigami

I am Shinigami!
I am darkness given form!
I am the dark, forbidding clouds
That fly before the storm.
Kings and queens and beggars,
Soldiers, doctors, priests,
All are equal to me,
None is highest, none is least.
I bring release for prisoners,
And some might call me blest,
Destruction for the wicked,
And the righteous, and the rest.
As violent as the thunder
Or as gentle as a breath,
And you know someday you'll meet me-
Shinigami, I am Death.
 

Zero Sum

War and peace are intertwined,
Eternally, I guess.
Yin and Yang, the dark and light.
Are you surprised to hear that?
I'm a soldier, life is war.
And yet, I can't escape
The dreams I'm fighting for.
She called the world an endless waltz,
That all things come around.
Is it really as hopeless as that?
I want to believe it isn't.
I want to believe in peace.
Even a soldier wants to be happy.
But it always seems we're coming
To the exact same place again
And every move we make
Adds up to Zero in the end.
 

Zarakin Lullaby

On the plains there is river,
Flowing swift and sure,
It winds along the hills and dales.
Who knows what it's searching for.
The sound of quiet rushing
Sings peace into your mind.
The water flows like silver,
And the river's name is Time.
No one knows just where it comes from,
Or where its path will lead.
But we ride along its shining course
Searching for the place we need.
Do not fear the water's edge
Or you may be left behind.
For we all must cross the river,
And the river's name is Time.
In the place beyond the river,
There is peace upon the land.
And those that we have loved will wait
Upon the golden sand.
So never think that I am lost,
For my love you'll always find.
We will meet across the river,
And the river's name is Time.
 

Darkness' Riddle

I am the dream that haunts you,
Can you guess my name?
A thousand souls have tried and failed,
But come and play the game.
I hide within the shadows,
I whisper in your sleep,
I am the thing that stalks you
When the dark has drifted deep.
They say that I'm a gentleman-
They say a lot of things.
Some say I walk in human form,
Or fly on midnight wings.
Some say I lurk outside your door,
Some say within your heart,
Some say of every thing that lives,
I claim some tiny part.
Come, it's time to give your answer,
As the rest have done the same.
Look me in the eyes and tell me,
Can you guess my name?
 

Midnight City

Welcome to Obsidian,
The city of the night.
The streets are thronged with shadows that
Have never known the light.
Here is where your nightmares dwell,
And now you've come to play.
Hope you enjoyed the sunlight when
You went outside today.
Because tonight the dark will hunt
You through the winding steep
Of every path and alleyway
Where midnight's creatures creep.
And if you run the perfect race,
You might return to light.
But if your hunters catch you, then-
Well, welcome to the night.
 

October Hills

The sky is cold, October gray,
And all around, the grass
Begins to fade
Into a winter's sleep.
Gray stones beneath
Gray clouds
Give but cold shelter from the wind
And sing
As it whistles round their feet.
They say
We lay our dead to rest
In the earth,
But here on this hill,
It seems as though they sleep
In the sky.
 

Ghost Hunting

Seek not for ghosts in graveyards;
They do not linger where they lay.
Within the gloom and marble chill,
No single shade would stay.
Ghosts are found in music,
In one note that turns back time.
They whisper 'round the branches
Of the trees they used to climb.
They dance between the puddles
When the mist falls like a veil
As their insubstantial footsteps
Leave you but a memory's trail.
If you hurry you might catch one
Swinging from the hanging tire--
Or perhaps just a reflection
Made of moonlight and desire.
Laughter echoes from the hillsides
Where the past still walks and calls
And there are always spirits dancing
Within every tear that falls.
Seek not for ghosts in graveyards,
For they do not hover there.
They are haunting those who love them
With the tenderest of care.
 

All Hallow's Eve

When silence rules the hillsides,
When midnight walks the streets,
When the thronging, laughing ghosts
Have at last packed up their sheets,
When the high moon sheds its light,
Those rays of frost and bone,
Upon the quiet roads and fields,
The wind begins to moan.
The devils dance in cornfields,
The ghouls sing ancient lays
Of the greatest of the monsters
And the winding down of days.
The wind conveys its mysteries
To those who dare the night
And evil pools to fruitlessly
Plot the death of light.
The old world holds its revels which
No mortal eye has seen,
As the year winds down to dark and cold,
And THAT is Halloween.