Feel like rocking tonight. Listening to old Black Sabbath. “Sweet Leaf.” “Snow Blind.” “The Warning.” If there’s a soundtrack to evil, Black Sabbath wrote it.
Then I open a more modern Hell for some Black Label Society. “Suicide Messiah.” Or I listen to a little cultural commentary with Marilyn Manson’s “The New Shit” and The Crue’s “Find Myself.” Wind it up with a little “I am the Bullgod” with Kid Rock. After, I slow it down with “Space Lord” by Monster Magnet and then "Screaming in the Night" by Krokus.
Makes me want to ride a pale horse with the Wild Hunt, to feel the scrape of briars across my leathers while the horns skirl and reap the silence.
In my dreams sometimes I run the dark. My teeth are long. Crimson at the roots. At campfire’s edge, my eyes gleam wicked yellow. My pupils are dilated. And I am:
WATCHING
When death comes for me
I’ll wait in the black light
Armed to the teeth
With blade and bullet
Standing in the rain
The wine bite of life
Bloody on my tongue
Eyes smoking ready
When death comes for me
I’ll be fueled for fire
I’ll throw him a red kiss
But it won’t be sweet
Standing under eclipsed sun
With the wink of steel
Hiding cold in my fists
Smiling only with my mouth
When death comes for me
His angel wings spread dark
He’ll find a machine rusted
But sharp edged and poison
Standing in a blank wind
A ghost with scars for eyes
With ruins for memories
He’ll find me...watching
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41 comments:
Your poem and this post conjures images in my mind. They are cold, dark and somehow comforting.
I'm glad that you made it through the storm. While I was away from the internet I was wondering how you and Lana were doing. Of course now I've read the posts and now I know.
This is dark stuff - and it tells me I am listening to a survivor, a fighter.
If he goes down, he takes the other guy with him.
Well written Charles.
I somehow can't see you standing in front of a metal band doing the head bounce thing...
The poetry as usual brings images dark and lovely to mind, pictures not ordinarily contemplated are "different" in the early light of dawning morning.
I like them.
Excellent!
Do not go gently into that dark night.
Ozzy would be proud. I can almost hear it as a song, but the kind that never really plays anymore. Even today's metal and rock doesn't touch this kind of depth.
Love poetry dark and filled with angst. Thanks for sharing :)
Very enjoyable prose, Charles.
Jack, I think it's comforting to know that you can fight if you hae to.
Crazycath, thanks. Rock music sort of puts me in that mood.
Mark, thanks, I use to headbang pretty regularly but I can't afford the brain cells these days. Plus my neck hurts. sigh!
Bernita, that's the sentiment exactly.
L.A. Mitchell, unfortunately there's a rather sameness to much of the metal these days. I'd like to see folks break the mold more.
Bernardl, thankee my friend.
ROCK ON!
Me thinks Death has another thing coming if it's foolish enough to believe you'll be an easy harvest.
Loved it!
hope you two can escape ike, seems like a nasty one :(
i always embrace the dark, it's part of the whole... and can never understand why so many think only light is worthwhile...
nicely wrought, charles :)
Pristine and original poem!
Wish I had that kind of pluck.
But now, at this age, I am with that fop Eliot.
Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Though I think I could still use a good bang. :)
Anndi, I hope not an easy harvest at least.
Laughingwolf, light wouldn't be much fun without the dark. I'm hoping IKE doesn't bring any more darkness, though.
Ivan, good point. I have to have a bit of rock to get my back up these days. It's so much easier to tell death to fuck himself when you're young and full of health.
Something wicked stands and waits, eh, Charles?! Nice imagery.
Suitably dark. I like the imagery and references.
Cool. I dig it. I haven't heard any Krokus in YEARS, btw.
Marvelously dark poetic imagery, Charles. Hats off to you.
Perfect for the chill winds soon to come.
One thing I love about your work is that distinct knack for just the right details. You make a scene vivid and real without describing it to death.
I'm guessing that's the poetry...
ike's looking nastier :(
Just as I reminded you of a long forgotten band when I mentioned Mahogany Rush, your mention of Krokus brought back memories of a long ago concert.
I'm with you on the headbanging. The old head and neck, they aren't what they used to be.
Charles,
Awesome poem! I especially like the line "a ghost with scars for eyes." nice!
I'm in a bit of a funk, but oddly enough this post cheered me a bit.
Thanks.
Cool poem, baby. It's funny how it seems more your "rocking" moods that produce poetry. FYI, tomorrow is the Celtic Horned Dance in honor of Cernunnos. Perhaps you're just tuning in. ;)
Writtenwyrd, thanks. Was kind of fun to do.
Virginia lady, much appreciated. Thanks for the comments.
Heff, I always liked "Screaming in the Night," a lot. And "Eat the Rich." And "cool, cool of the morning." Good stuff.
Vwriter, glad you enjoyed it.
Jason, I sometimes miss having a good cold winter. We'll get only mild winds here probably. But I remember the harsh ones.
Steve Malley, I think it's all about the right word in the right place. I wish I could do it all the time.
Laughingwolf, yes, he is. I'm hoping he passes us by.
Randy, oh wow, I would have enjoyed seeing Krokus in concert. They were an amazingly ugly band but I liked a lot of their music.
Greg, thankee. Sometimes I feel just ghostly.
Travis, well if that cheered you, you must be in a funk. I hope it's nothing serious. Maybe some loud music would help?
Lana, that's weird about tomorrow's date. I think I write poetry when I'm either energized or maudlin. The energized ones work a lot better.
OH...my...
This is heavy and Awesome in a strange way.
The image that immediately came to my head while reading this post was your .gif hyperlink over on Heff's page!
The Trailer Of Love
Very nice.
"Tonight Long Stick Goes Boom".
Fancy, strange is good.
Wil, yeah that gif is feffing cool.
Sid, thankee,
Heff, another good un.
seems to be aiming at texas at this time, missing you... but i have pals in texas, too :(
Very evocative. I can just see you standing there, fists clenched, teeth bared...
I agree with crazycath--I felt the same way reading this.
Haunting and well written. My favorite stanza is the second to the last one--you're acknowledging a weakness, but yet stronger than the darkness.
Love this one.
Laughingwolf, whereever it hits will be a problem, but I tell you I'm glad we're not going to get it again.
Candy, I talk a good show.
ChrisEldin, thankee. I appreciate the good words.
no kidding, you've had more than your share, charles...
Okay, Charles. Now you make me want to write something scary. :-) Thanks for sharing.
Laughingwolf, I guess most of us along the Gulf Coast have.
Demon Hunter, scary is good.
I want you on my side in a fight.
Powerful poem, Charles. Do you know Dylan Thomas's poem, "Do not go gentle into that goodnight"? He urges his dying father to "rage against the dying of the light." I'm not sure your poem doesn't capture the idea better. It's seriously good.
For some reason I'm hearing Henry Rollins reciting your poem and it sounds reaaaal good.
Powerful stuff!
Didn't realize the storm was in your neck of the wood, and glad you are both ok.
SQT, as long as I'm armed, I'm dangerous. lol.
JR, hey, I like that. Cool. I'm a fan of Rollins.
Leigh Russell, I do indeed. Thomas is my favorite poet. I'm sure his poem was an influence on this piece. Although mostly probably unconsciously.
virtual voyage, we got passed it OK, and the newest one is moving south of us so I think we'll be OK there too.
I like this - a lot! :-D
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