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Short story done in verse with heavy influence from other works. All fiction. |
I went just one line Over the line. I hopped over the barrier And hand in hand with The Monster We rampaged through my life, Killed my friends, Burned my family To the ground, Left unprotected my would-be wife And now I’m Lost. I’m so lost I can’t find my way back. The Monster led me through The urban woods where I got so comfy with the Street-wise beasts I borrowed a cup of sugar And traded shit for just another Line. I needed just one more. I always needed Just One More. A sixteen-year-old me And my friend Timothy Found The Monster under My brother’s bed. He offered to fix me up a line And The Monster crawled from the Dark and reared it’s Ugly, white head. One sharp intake of breath Through the nose and a Burning, Stinging, Head-reeling Instant later The Monster had crawled Inside my mind and I was Hooked. I was gonna be a rock-star Jamming’ like a guitar hero Playin’ on Friday nights in Low-key youth clubs and bars. We had a good thing goin’ With girls and lights and smoke machines Free drinks all around and Oh, the Autographs! We were ready for the big-time Groupies and amphitheatre fame Until we found The Monster lurking, Preying on our amped-up wishes, Passion, love and soul until The crash That comes at the end when He pushes you off the cliff Your dreams built And your life is Shattered. ------------------------------------------------------ He was a sweet thing Caring as any girl could wish for With roses for birthdays Warm hugs, sweet kisses and a Claddagh ring. Two hands of friendship hold the heart of love Topped with the graceful crown of Loyalty Bent into a never-ending circle Around my left-hand finger For just that sort of Thing. We had it made with promises for love without hate. No criticism only hard work From both he and me To make our true love last Till he bent on one knee And offered his life, Asked for mine, and our dreams would come True. A guitar in his hand And a tune in his head He and his band were Gonna make history. They had talent for sure, A bunch of smart guys But barely out of the gate They met The Monster. ------------------------------------------------------ Here we are on this Big lit stage With roaming lights And a veiling smoke screen. Here’s hope and dreams And baby you’re Everything to me. It’s the early days when our faculties Were ours and every Last idea was ours: One of a kind; Original. No influence Just our lyrics Our music not always Makin’ sense But always in our Control. Down low, standing On this elevated stage One with the thronging crowd We play. Beyond the dance floor Stars in your eyes Watching me and Tapping to the beat you Sit. I play for you Always for you My fingers sliding across the strings Following what Tim sings Looking up to see Your beautiful eyes Staring back at me Full of hope and love and Dreams. Our eyes connecting Such passion there’s A livewire between And for one moment The two of us being one Can exist on a Prayer, a Wish, a Dream. ----------------------------------------------------- All brought down by World-crashing Earth-shattering Mind-bending Forever unfair Death. In one instant on An inhale of life and Hope and forever Life exits on an Exhale of the body, Mind, and soul and Ends. Last relation Favorite person Next to me, his love, Of course, Just left the world; Abandonment. A thousand teardrops Fall like icy snow Cold, devoid of hope. Nothing I can do but Hold you tight, tell you I love you and pray That I’m enough To help you Cope. I gently run my Fingers through your Hair and kiss your cheek Sweet words of condolence I breathe Into your ear, kissing Away your tears As you weep Away your faith. Your dearest mother, Giver of life and Hugs, cruelly Stolen. I’m not enough To keep you whole. I can’t imagine Your pain, your anger. Parents, I have none, No rock or help to me Were they that gave me life. But you and your motherly Friend; one you love Can’t be replaced. Is there room for both? Your mother’s heart And mine amid Your failing faith And crushing dreams. I try, I want to But I can’t breath For you, stand for you, Only with you, us as One. It hurts to see you Bleed crystalline tears Endlessly streaming. So much turmoil Pain and passion But no faith or hope Left to guide and soften The blows of the world. Hate and anger plenty. Curl up Block out Deny. ------------------------------------------------------ Emotional locomotion Only way to get by Not good enough, doesn’t Take away the pain. Me, trying to hold on Tight, clinging with Every fiber of the human Being, nails dug deep Drawing crimson peals From beneath my skin Pale as parchment Strings of pulsing blue Showing through; Lifeline. Wrapped up in her safe Cocoon of arms, held Tight, together. Baby Stay close, keep me Safe and I won’t fall Apart. I’m on a downhill slide Rocky path, flooded, Broken with the roots Of aged trees of death. I wandered off the Path. How do I get Back to Normal? Terrified cries at night Horrifying dreams Pleading, quaking, shaking. Help. ------------------------------------------------------ Help. I’ve got to help him. Doing better, out of bed In real clothes, showered, Finally lacking tear-stained face. Make him favorite foods, Invite the band, pot-luck, games Heading back to Normalcy. We’re headed up, making It back to the main road But there’s tension with a Consistency of Peanut-butter. Doing better, playing music, Making jokes, subtle laughter; Is he faking it? Could be. I just want him close and happy. Begging, pleading with God Wanting him back, needing Him. Does he still need me? Did you know I miss you? I miss you. ------------------------------------------------------ I had to find a way to deal Get better, let her know She helped me heal Tim said I’d feel great Wanna get up, get dressed, most of all Play. The band took a dive When my mother lost her life And mine became obsolete. But she wanted me well, My love wanted me happy. I can’t let her down She doesn’t deserve to be On this level so close to hell I can’t let her fall, Alone. Just one line Would bring me up he said. Then I could Make her happy She’d no longer see my pain And the band could start to play again So with promises Heavy on my head, I Agreed. The band had a gig that night Playin’ sets under neon lights A true rock-star moment, High above the crowd, we could practically See them waving lighters in the smoky Air. But we weren’t playing to their like. They wanted old familiar words Sung originally into the mic With long remembered chords humming From my guitar strings, beats from The drum set ringing to their memory. Our sets were new, styled After people who had the greatest impact On the musical world as we know it. The Monster got into our heads And separated us from them Made us crazy, begging for fame A never-ending undulating shouting Of our name upon the lips of adoring Fans. A week went by Then two, a month And we were flyin’ High, all the time Carried on The Monster’s back We played every gig With heads buzzing Making the room spin Hyped up and feelin’ Free. Every day, one hit, another line Tempting my infatuation with this Scaly beast. I wanted it, needed it, Tried every way imaginable to get it. My life and my world used to consist of My band and my girl but now, I lived for The Monster. And I thought I was still this side of The line, but hand in white-clawed hand Me and The Monster crept, crawled, Slid over the boundary Line. I thought I was discrete, I thought she Would never know, but all along, my love Saw me sneaking around with Timothy, The band, and that powdery, mind-numbing Creep. ----------------------------------------------------- I still remember that deep, dark, velvet Night, finding you tempting fate. Asked you why; just to make me happy? Begged you to stop; laughing, strung up High on the carpet, you reply with bubbling Giggles, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Aching heart, what has become of you My love, do you really love me so? Tears streaming, legs churning up the stairs, Have to get away, I don’t know what to do The Monster slips right between you and me And tears us apart from our big dreams. Sunrise dawns, dreary, damp. You awake, head clear, find me on the bed Alone, clinging to the pillow. You apologize, I sympathize, Yes I feel your pain but a Courtship with The Monster? How? Begging, pleading for you to stop. This isn’t you, you know it. Please come back to me. Remember what we had, Our plans, Our hopes, Our dreams. Shattered. ----------------------------------------------------- She knows. My baby, my life My everything, found me out And in my mind, her hurt bellows. “This is to the girl, who got into my head with all the pretty things she did” And I’ve murdered the relationship With selfish whims, catering to selfish pain. Willpower, determination; how much will it Take to bring you back. I’m compelled to try Giving up that ever-calming line But how now will I deal with the pain? My mother’s voice and my love’s Echoing in one ear and out the other Believing in me, needing to help But I’m to Blame. You’ve been gone three days Not a word, no cell phone ring. Five days, a week, I haven’t heard you speak Did you know I miss you? Nine days this side of the line You come knocking at the door A nervous glance around the room You see me sitting on the floor Alone. ----------------------------------------------------- Open the door, peek around the corner Of the frame, not a soul in sight. Keys on the table, purse on the floor, Walk into the living room See you shaking on the floor, Plastic pouch of unopened powder Clutched in your sweaty palm. I pry it from your quaking fingers, Sit next to you, wrapped in a blanket Hold you tight. Quietly inquire What happened and you describe What led to this downward spiral Of will and faith ending in a Love-hate relationship with the Ever beckoning Monster. And little by little As I listen to your tale And hold you closer I detect some little shred of hope Yet lingering in your Soul. ----------------------------------------------------- My love, my protector, slayer of The Monster in me We couldn’t do the same for Timothy. One year later, he was lost Fell off the cliff, he’ll never know Just what it cost to take a walk With The Monster and ride It’s downward spiral of a slide. End |