The Broken Girl and The Clever Boy - Red

 

 

 

 

 

            Every day the Clever Boy, with his tiny mechanical feet, shuffled down the same cobblestone path. And every day the Clever Boy saw the same sights and turned the same turns and whistled the same song. And the Clever Boy was happy.

            Until one day something was different.

            The Clever Boy, whistling the same song, shuffling his tiny mechanical feet suddenly stopped. He saw a box. This was new. He approached it with caution. He saw an ordinary brown packing box full of gears and pieces. Next to this box was a sign: I CAN’T FIGURE HER OUT. MUST BE BROKEN - FREE.

            The Clever Boy turned his square head this way and that wondering why in the world anyone would discard such beautiful, shiny pieces. He gathered the box into his jointed copper arms and returned to shuffling his tiny mechanical feet, turning the same turns, and whistling the same song until he reached his home.

            Once the Clever Boy was home, he began to unpack the many shiny pieces. He laid them out gently and lovingly. It seemed as if everything was in order, so he decided he would reassemble the Broken Girl.

            Every day after his walk the Clever Boy would work on his Girl. The work was slow, but he was patient. And after a time, the Broken Girl no longer looked broken. However, it seemed as if a piece was missing after all. Luckily, the Clever Boy knew exactly what to do.

            He pinched the corner of his chest plate and pulled it open, exposing all the whirring cogs and gears. He reached in his chest and pulled out his Red metallic heart. He knew it would only hurt for a second, so he took a big mechanical breath and broke off a piece of it. He quickly put his heart back and closed the latch. He drove his tiny mechanical hand into the Broken Girl’s chest. He pulled back his hand and clutched it close to his chest. Then waited.

            A sputter.

            A clunk.

            A wheeze.

            And suddenly she wasn’t so broken anymore.

            So every day the Clever Boy, with his tiny mechanical feet, shuffled down the same cobblestone path. And every day the Clever Boy saw the same sights and turned the same turns and whistled the same song. And the Clever Boy was very, very happy because his Girl was holding his tiny mechanical hand.

 

New Grey 2

 

 

 

            My horse was skittish for a while. Not sure if it was the lingering scent of death or apprehension about moving forward. With each step farther from the battlefield, I could feel strength and power growing inside me. The Unknown Angel giving the Faceless Demon his blood. And now I was something new.

            My horse took me away from the battlefield and toward the timberline. Once I was surrounded by trees, I could hear whisperings. Each time I turned my head to see the source, my eyes saw nothing and the noise would stop. I nudged my horse to move a bit faster.

            I was very nearly through the trees when I finally saw black smoke tendrils dancing in the tree tops. Strange smoke creatures with reddened eyes looked back at me. Weird dog-shaped creatures that had clawed feet. They talked to each other in whistles and clicks, a language I was unfamiliar with. They moved almost ghostlike between trees just to reform ahead of me and watch me pass. I keep my eyes upward, watching them as I rode past. They didn’t seem malicious even though the sight of them was unnerving.

            Once I was through the thicket, I turned my horse around and looked back at the wood. There were hundreds of them crawling all over the tree tops, their red eyes luminous. “You don’t frighten me,” I stated in a clear voice.

            The murmurings stopped and they all stared at me. Then they hissed. I almost drew the sword I had at my side, when I realized they were laughing. They were laughing at me. All of them in unison, shaking the trees from their amusement. Why was I funny? And who were these things?

            I turned my horse away from the tree line and rocked forward in the saddle, encouraging my horse forward. There was only one place I knew to start looking for answers. And that was home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timing

A million busy thing occupying me

And you are the last thing on my mind.

How many times did I hit snooze?

Did I close the garage door?

Did I turn off the coffee machine?

And you are the last thing on my mind. 

Did I lock my car? 

Did I remember to reschedule that appointment?

Am I getting called for a meeting today?

And you are the last thing on my mind. 

What do I need from the grocery store? 

Do I have enough gas to get home?

And you are the last thing on my mind.

My mind races all day. 

Did I make my rent payment?

Does my boss recognize my hard work?

Will family be coming to visit soon?

And you are the last thing on my mind. 

And finally I head for bed 

Ready to close out the world.

Yet right before I fall asleep

There you are. 

The last thing on my mind. 

Flagstones

I followed the trail

The crumbs left behind 

Not knowing where it lead.

I picked up the pieces

The broken jagged shards

Not knowing how to fix them. 

I looked down the path

The dark and twisted thing

Not knowing what awaited. 

I hoped for the best

The bright and shining future

Not knowing there wasn't one. 

Author's note: original artwork created by @DrPaJi. Gratitude for your beautiful, amazing creation, Sir. 

VisibilityZero

I know I'm invisible. 

I hear your name and it makes 

My soul sing.

I know I'm invisible. 

I see your picture and it makes

My heart leap. 

I know I'm invisible. 

I hear your voice and it makes

My knees weak. 

I know I'm invisible. 

I smell your cologne and it makes

My head spin. 

I know I'm invisible. 

I know you think you are, too.

But I see you everywhere you aren't. 

Every sense in use

And enveloped by you. 

Vortex

Darkness

     Breaches 

     Reaches

          I cannot escape

Sunlight

     Banished

     Vanished 

          Then suddenly I'm cold

Feelings

     Trifled

     Stifled

          And exhausted from screaming

My dream is my curse is my muse 

     And will always be tucked away

          In my cloaked heart.

HighNotes

Her laughter explodes

As she skips away. 

She twirls and turns back. 

Just for a second. 

She's happy. 

She's beautiful. 

She's amazing. 

She's brilliant. 

She tucks a strand behind her ear

And twirls some more. 

Dress flowing in the wheat. 

She's my everything. 

She's laughter. 

And always just out of reach. 

New Grey

     It was black and charred. A twisted mess beyond recognition. It was hard to tell if it was a brother or sister. And the field continued like that for miles. Bodies broken and smoldering. The battlefield an overwhelming scene of death. I rode my horse along a twisted path to avoid touching the corpses. I did not want to disturb. I did not want anyone to know I was here. Everyone thought I was dead.
     After ten minutes of careful treading, I could finally turn around and take in the entire scene. There were hundreds of thousands of bodies from both sides littering the open field. The angels lay dead with the demons. The battle had taken more than its due from each opponent. I wanted to cry at the number lost by all. And where did it leave me? What was I now? Why was I spared?
     It almost seemed like a dream now. I was on my back, trapped under one of my dead sisters. The angel stood over me. I was sure he meant to drive his fiery weapon through me and claim his victory. He paused, and spoke “Surely, your wounds have already claimed your life. I can not claim what is already taken.” As he held his weapon aside, one of my brothers across the field made true with his bow and arrow. This nameless angel looked at his chest. He looked at me. “Learn,” was all he said. He pulled the arrow from his chest with a grimace. The blood from his wound was a fountain. It poured over me. It fell into my mouth and my eyes. I nearly choked. The angel fell forward and hid me from view. For the next three hours, I could only listen as casualties mounted all around me. The screams of my dying siblings intermingled with the prayers of the dying angels rang in my ears. At some point, I lost consciousness.
     When I awoke and heard nothing but silence, I pushed the dead angel from me. I was surprised by the ease of it. I sat up and moved my dead demon sister. Again, the actions were easier than they should have been. I stood up and found all my wounds had been healed. The angel’s blood coursed through my veins now as surely as my own. Some bizarre hybrid of light and dark. “Good” and “Evil”.
     Now the future lie unbearably open as I kicked my heels into my horse’s sides. I wasn’t sure where to go, so I let my horse decide the path.

Square

Misery loves company, or so I've heard before.

It seems to contradict my soul to core.

Alone, alone to hide the beast of me

And keep the image pure and clean and free.

People wouldn't understand the face 

I'd show them in this wretched, ugly place. 

I couldn't stand to have them know that I 

Am so convinced I'm only here to die.  

Much, much better to keep a dream alive

And let them all believe I'm five by five. 

Peace

Years of isolation 

An island of my own making

Staring at the water

It's beautiful 

It's perfect 

I won't touch it 

Don't disturb 

This picture perfect scene

This flawless illusion

My private paradise 

Please don't come here

Don't wake the giant

Don't rattle the chain

It's quite nice here

The storm resides outside this bubble

And I fear you'll bring it with you