I am an emperor Of blowing ash And broken dreams The king of lies I govern an empire Of hardened creeks And hollow screams A kingdom of nothing Fully enclosed By legions of fear And walls of doubt Moats of betrayal Surround my dusty throne A drawbridge of shadows Leading me home.
Fallen
Shattered dreams, the angel's wings are beyond repair.
Relaxed enough to realize, but too fucked up to care.
The angel wanders down this lonely street, love in his pocket, and eyes filled with fear.
Still standing nightmares, the angel's eyes can no longer bear.
Collected enough to conceive, but much too stunned to stare.
The angel trips upon his clumsy feet, love fell from his pocket, and eyes filled with tears.
Shadowed reality, the angel's sanity eclipsed by despair.
Detached enough to disguise, but far too sinned to bare.
The angel ascends into his honored seat, a forsaken socket, and eyes filled with air.
The demon's soulful eulogy,
Sweet nothings in his ear.
A tantalizing whisper,
The angel no longer hears.
Once silent, a now deafening cry
And as the wails slowly burn
Beyond his now empty chair.
He asks himself and discerns
That to live free of illusions
The angel must be spared.
The Show Must Go On
When the last soul leaves, And the curtains called. The empty stage Sings softly to itself. For it remembers. Every step, and song Each kiss, and dance, Yet, It tells no one.
The Shnosberries Taste Like Shnoseberries
There's a gentle wind that turns The blackest nights, to early dawn. It etches in wood, the beautiful faces That the water, carves into delicate stones. There's an infinitesimal whisper That our star revolves, around itself. It reflects the moon, all eyes and demons To create a world, where trees can melt.
Crossroads
Every night, A world of demons Play Hallows Eve With a simple mask. Your fallen face. Bullet shattered. A different time, A different place. Four frozen rivers Burn bridges With crosses Idols of the divine. A movement Tempted. Flirtations failed. The ground Will grow without you As do hair, And nails.
Doll, Doll, Little Doll
You're at the top of the list
In the bottom dollar barrel.
Better cease and desist
Or I'll cut you to marrow.
Just sit and be quiet
My precious china doll.
If you fight, I won't buy it,
My pretty china doll.
Go roam about your desert.
As long as the leash will reach.
If you stray it'll only hurt you.
Hot feet in a frozen beach.
Pigtails and a gladius,
My fearless china doll.
What a pretty little fist,
My headless little doll.
Ropes and Feathers
To shake foundations Dip my tongue into the core This false belief An endless running system That's been feeding us and more Trapped below its broken bridges Hung a noose that's far too high Grip it once to test its stature Pull it twice and watch it fall Coiled snakes that chase us Waiting for the owl's call To force a life through compromise Dirty feet through tired sand Blindfold this rampant cancer As it claims our earthen hands
The Writer
There is no angel on my shoulder.
No demons wanting piggybacks.
Crushed the first with a boulder,
Left the latter by the railroad tracks.
It's just me sitting lonely,
Weaving the stories
That I want my home to be.
Wondering where the front door leads,
But never looking back.
What Then
Up and down. A seesaw And a ladder. The highways, Spread wider,
And the children,
Grow fatter. Round and around A tire swing, And a jungle gym. We play in the freeways, And drive in the playgrounds. To the endless sounds, Of idled chatter.
Hidden Fighter
Will no one help bury these dueling swords?
Two puppets strung from the same cord.
Fists of horns, halos forged in gold.
To the highest bidder goes the soul.
One hand shakes the other,
While yet another pats a back.
While infants girls in China smothered,
Unpainted nails grow dead and black.
Where is justice in a place so cold?
Buried in bomb shelters years ago.
Packed away with cans and water.
Who needs hell when earth is hotter?
Who needs hell when earth is hotter?
The Hate We Breed Makes Love No Fun
The words and letters, Segregated like each and every color.
Beheld the blind man's eye.
Trapped inside a cracking heart of vengeful bones.
When you settle down, behind your fence. Do you note the shade?
Can you feel at all, the questions answered as your distant neighbors fall
Across barbed wire borders lined with pre-pardoned guns.
The hate we breed makes love no fun.
Hide the words that blind your mind.
Free your soul from what’s to come.
Dissolve the colors into one.
Fear is your accomplice, Along with prejudice and greed.
The blind man sits and spits his pride.
As you settle down, for a biscuit and some tea
Snuggled deep between Egyptian sheets. Can you hear the screams?
Do you have ears at all, as your distant neighbors attempt to recall
The art of love taught from the mouths of lolita whores.
The hate we breed makes love no fun. Hide the words that blind your mind.
Free your soul from what’s to come.
Dissolve the colors into one.
Herald Hark the Heroes Flee
Set me free, release me from this buried cage.
Beneath the phase in which the fool's moon face.
Let me breathe, the moist air that floats like summer haze.
Above the dirt that screams to return it's unturned grave.
I've lost my eyes to the essence of my spiraled soul.
A bottle broken along the ice that rips apart this ugly mold.
Forget my feet as they exit through this empty hole.
As time is released, my mind boils through the bitter cold.
To raise and rise, these long dead heroes to stand by my side.
Since the fallen angels, forsook their wings, and chose instead to hide.
All content is the copyright of Derek Hayes. No content may be reproduced without express permission. If you would like to use any of the content, contact the author at: dhayes@silentepitaphs.com