Monday, September 08, 2008

When Death Comes for Me



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:

Anonymous said...

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.

Cath said...

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.

the walking man said...

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.

Bernita said...

Excellent!
Do not go gently into that dark night.

L.A. Mitchell said...

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 :)

BernardL said...

Very enjoyable prose, Charles.

Charles Gramlich said...

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.

Anndi said...

ROCK ON!

Me thinks Death has another thing coming if it's foolish enough to believe you'll be an easy harvest.

Loved it!

laughingwolf said...

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 :)

ivan said...

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. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

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.

writtenwyrdd said...

Something wicked stands and waits, eh, Charles?! Nice imagery.

Virginia Lady said...

Suitably dark. I like the imagery and references.

Heff said...

Cool. I dig it. I haven't heard any Krokus in YEARS, btw.

Rick said...

Marvelously dark poetic imagery, Charles. Hats off to you.

Anonymous said...

Perfect for the chill winds soon to come.

Steve Malley said...

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...

laughingwolf said...

ike's looking nastier :(

Randy Johnson said...

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.

Greg said...

Charles,
Awesome poem! I especially like the line "a ghost with scars for eyes." nice!

Travis Cody said...

I'm in a bit of a funk, but oddly enough this post cheered me a bit.

Thanks.

Lana Gramlich said...

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. ;)

Charles Gramlich said...

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.

FANCY said...

OH...my...
This is heavy and Awesome in a strange way.

Anonymous said...

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

Sidney said...

Very nice.

Heff said...

"Tonight Long Stick Goes Boom".

Charles Gramlich said...

Fancy, strange is good.

Wil, yeah that gif is feffing cool.

Sid, thankee,

Heff, another good un.

laughingwolf said...

seems to be aiming at texas at this time, missing you... but i have pals in texas, too :(

cs harris said...

Very evocative. I can just see you standing there, fists clenched, teeth bared...

Chris Eldin said...

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.

Charles Gramlich said...

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.

laughingwolf said...

no kidding, you've had more than your share, charles...

Tyhitia Green said...

Okay, Charles. Now you make me want to write something scary. :-) Thanks for sharing.

Charles Gramlich said...

Laughingwolf, I guess most of us along the Gulf Coast have.

Demon Hunter, scary is good.

SQT said...

I want you on my side in a fight.

Leigh Russell said...

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.

JR's Thumbprints said...

For some reason I'm hearing Henry Rollins reciting your poem and it sounds reaaaal good.

virtualjourney said...

Powerful stuff!

Didn't realize the storm was in your neck of the wood, and glad you are both ok.

Charles Gramlich said...

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.

Miladysa said...

I like this - a lot! :-D