A Better Kind of Madness

Preview Healing Leaves (from Earth Roads chapter) Oh trees, can you spare a few healing leaves? I will touch them with my pen and let the ink bleed from wounds. What If? (from Air Lights chapter) see magnificent stars encircling a silver crescent in the sky. "what if?" they say as they feed you tiny drops that glimmer with possibilities. No Thinking Allowed Song (from Fire Shadows chapter) They tell you stupid And teach minds dumb Steal you from real Until conscience is numb They grasp you down To where you never been Just try to climb up They pull you down again They break your spirit And say it is your fault Because you wouldn't feast On the lies they taught They want to make you What you don't want to be Deceive your inner sight So that you cannot see They walk in rotten And teeth smile pretend They want to take you To hell with them. Thinking: Login attempt failed Access denied. Walking the Country Road (from Earth Roads chapter) I glance back, the view from here is vast. The long serpentine country road reaches out, surrounded by stoic trees that are moved only by seasons. Standing tall as a massive army, the trees' only duty is to shade lonely roads. Reaching through its winding paths, the road seems serene but not content, beckoning me to return. Was there something I forgot? Knowing mystical roads speak loudly in stillness, I retrace my paths. The amplified sound of crunching twigs and pebbles, caused by the weight of my feet, reverberate in the hollow void. Weary, I kick up dust until it swirls, blurring my vision. But dust always wanes, and as it does, slowly I recognize the secret language of old country roads that speak the wisdom of earth and trees. Now, remembering, I bow to pick up fragmented pieces of myself, scattered and strewn about. These abandoned shards, I gather from here and there; long forgotten, now joyfully retrieved, become part of the whole so I can continue the journey, restored. And the wise country road nods, smiling. The Keeper of the Garden (from Fire Shadows chapter) Her hands are razors; venom dribbles from her mouth. Strong eyes always searching for the jugular, while her heart swings between love and loathing, bouncing upon inner walls of misery. She laughs while slicing through the vines of ripe, sweet fruit, ripping up dreams of flowering buds, plucking colorful petals. Immersing herself in a fountain of dominance, she tramples upon hopeful seedlings, until all life is smothered and her anger is satiated. After years of leftover chaos, the stormy remnants of weeping buds, torn petals of promise, spineless seedlings, and hearts of tangled vines, now captive, lay sprawled at her feet as willing captives. With weak eyes she weeps, unaware of what happened to her garden, as she tells herself that at least now she won't be bitter alone. A Cat Wears Its At (Out) from Humorology chapter I saw a tomcat, proud and fat, it wore a sun hat to hide the fact that its pudgy head was flat. It fiercely guarded its habitat and strutted around like an aristocrat. It winked at me, ready to act, jumped in midair like an acrobat, and nabbed a gnat with a quick paw pat, then suddenly grabbed a baseball bat to chase and hiss at a startled rat, which didn't have much time to react. So the robust zoomfastic fat cat caught it for lunch, belched, then sat on a mat. It stuck out its chest and readjusted its hat, smiled at me and yawned, ready to chat, and said, "can you top that?" Simply Moon (from Water Visions chapter) Moonlight rising as silhouettes on the sun. Moon rays glowing, time's yesterday is done. Moonbeams dropping on waves of radiant sea. Moon force calling, "earth waters, dance for me." Coming To Terms (from Water Visions chapter) I dreamed he was lying down, His breathing had ceased, and then He was breathing again. In waking grogginess I could not remember If he was dead or alive. After a moment, it became clear; Several days ago He had died. The sun was rising: Again, I cried. Bee Lessons (from Earth Roads chapter) I feel nature's elixir tickling my tongue, flowing softly into my throat. Eyes closed, immersed in the sweetness that caresses my mouth, fragrance permeates my nostrils, unceasing, until my mind clouds with intoxication. Joy held still in the moment. Warmth pours like the sun's oil in an unseen aura as I become the bee, thanking these tiny pearls of liquid gold that once slept in the heart of the honeysuckle. How Long? (from Water Visions chapter) I hear they say all will be okay when morning comes and night has passed, but never a word spoken about how long a night can last. Maggots and the Carcass (from Fire Shadows chapter) They appoint themselves, sitting bold in The circle of authority, cold, hollow Fiends veiled behind the caricatures Of human faces whose crimes leave Bitter fruit without guilty traces. Deciding on perverted whims who's worthy To rise to heights and survive, Who dies or gets tossed to the side As grunts, crawling, grabbing for crumbs, And struggling to stay alive. They whisper seduction eloquently or shout Vociferously as the masses' clarity melts Into cloudiness and willingness to believe Anything ... just don't tell us that we've lost Our way, but let us play. We'll pledge allegiance To the lies you place in our empty hands, Pretending we live in a perfect wonderland. As myriads of trinkets and trifles progress, Humaneness suffers and reverses its steps. As knowledge increases in external spheres, Poison overtakes the internal fears. How can we unbind ourselves from illusions When we dread the other side of delusion? So, unobstructed, they continue to dance in towers Of power; filthy maggots that devour The rotting carcass of humanity. Preaching, explaining, that insanity is sanity. Wolves, all of them, insatiable for rule, dripping With blood, sharpen their tools And invite howling sheep to the slaughter. It Vanishes (from Air Lights chapter) As a luminous butterfly displays delicate energy in a circular dance, its antics soon carried away upon the breeze; Or cool water held tightly in cupped hands, yet still seeps through fingers before the dry throat is soothed, Joy, like an ethereal spirit which airily floats in subtle shimmers, seen, but refusing to be held, vanishes. Stillness (from Water Visions chapter) you are a pond of peace, blocking out static of have-to, must-do, run fast, outlast get past, push through. a quiet sanctuary calls to you in whispers, to flow with time that's only measured by coral pebbles resting in your crystal jade liquid; you are a pond of peace; water rolling within streams of silence. How Fast He Runs (excerpt from Fire Shadows chapter) I was stunned at how fast he moved, running and panting. I watched as he ran past and wondered how long he would last. He ran to the streets to meet others like himself, boys in confused lunacy who played with toy guns that fired grown-up bullets. That stinging thud on the back of his head, searing heat in his brain made him think that the warnings his parents tried to give his sixteen-year old mind were true. He would tell them that they were right if he could make it home, where ...