Abandoned Realms Homepage

Live without Warning! by Danilo
---------------------

This is a public Serin announcement, This is only a test
Tis an emergency, evacuation,
And protests
May impair your ability
To dirt people effectively
Can't quite tell
Just what it means to me
Keep out of reach of halflings
Don't talk to Fells
Get your philosophy from any Herald-ants

(I say)
Warning, live without a warning
(I say)
Warning, live without a warning
Without, alrighty!

Better citizens and upgrades of the law. Did you remember to pay the protection fees?
Caution: Lawful Ethos
You better not cross
Is the Justice or am I
The one that's really dangerous?
Berserking, Warcrying, Raging, Slashing everyTHING!
Or shut up and be a victim of authority!

(I say)
Warning, live without a warning
(I say)
Warning, live without a warning
Without, alrighty!

(This was the first poem ever published in the Mystique. -II)

A Poem by Mothar
------

I go outside to hug the stars.
I sit in silence......
The energy flows around me,
the wind blows cold, yet the stars keep me warm.
I hear the trees smile as I tell them a joke.
I sit in the snow and find answers to my questions.
I found myself in the trees and happiness in the wind.
Friendship from the stars and wisdom in the silence.
My pain and sadness slips away and then I become whole.

Untitled by Solariette
--------

I sit here and perhaps scribe in vain,
But tis what I do to let go this pain.
I know I write of what others can also tell,
The disgust I hold for those traitors and fell.
Those rotten cowards who attack by force
Those who're alone, no group as a protective source.
And other fell, yes they fight alone,
But with no honor, no true courage shown.
These lands are o'er taken by evil hearts,
The lands ruled by refuse in so many parts.
We have brave Justices who seek to regain order
But they cannot protect us past a town's border.
So what choices Serins do we hold?
How will this fight against evil unfold?
What can we do to succeed against these vermin
Who plague our lives and seem to mostly win?
Is there no way to win back these, our Serin lands?
Can we not hold peace again within our hands?
Surely there is more we can do to fight against those who slay,
And take from us that sweet peace each day.

Untitled by Titasher
--------

Twas the Month of the Old Forces
Where I walked without a lantern
I sought to find pretty horses
But I wandered to a strange tavern
Never have I been to such a place
I often drank wine and firebreather
There I was with a misguided face
The drunken tavern served neither
Courting the bar man served drinks
A dwarf beginning to go insane
I was dazed and could not think
He poured me glass of new champagne
I write this poem in appreciation
For opening such a wonderful tavern
The drink gave a fabulous sensation
My new favorite, all from no lantern.

Untitled by Deliris
--------

These lands we walk,
Are blessed with heroes,
Either warriors of clerics,
But I am here to tell you,
Of a paladin known to most,
A paladin of many virtues,
A paladin named Grablen Klept.
He was a child not long ago,
Brought here by fate and luck,
Joined the halls of paladins,
And pursued his own track.
During his journeys and advancing in guild,
He set a new standard for paladins to be,
As deviant and cunning as he had been,
In defeating his enemies of different mean.
Today you can see him on the street,
With a sign of outcast on his cheek,
Some say that he had earned it,
Others think that he had not,
Whether they were right or wrong,
You can chose for your own,
As I will pass on the story,
That I've heard on my own.
As the paladin was fighting a shaman,
Mrakol challenged him like a bloodlusting goblin,
But being busy with the shaman,
He had no choice but to sigh and say nay.
After hours of fighting, the battle had ended,
And Grablen head back to town while limping,
He met a nasty surprise of bashing,
From the warrior called Mrakol.
Grablen still was able to fight,
Won the warrior with the length of an arm,
And due to insolence from the past,
Grablen was sure to make an example,
And teach a lesson of behavior -
He ended the neutral warriors life.
Not long after he duels another warrior
Called Trog, to whom the paladin forfeited,
Which was followed by a fatal slash.
When the paladin returned, there was nothing there,
As that had been taken care of by Trog and Mrakol.

(There is no indication of proper titles for these three poems. -II)

Untitled by Deliris
--------

Shine on me, white morning star and make your presence known make my fears
drift afar make them leave me on my own

Shine on me, white morning star illuminate my path so dark don't make me
brave nor make me smart but guide me through my chosen path

Shine on me, white morning star A river flows within my chest help me to my
destiny As Death is not yet mine

Shine on me, white morning star As I've met my end so hard, Scaled my fears
upon my winds As I fly through open doors Shine on me, white morning star
For I am to be just as you, to shine and light, and guide the night.

(There is no indication of the title for this poem. -II)

Castles and Dungeons by Woshonkai
--------------------

Castles and dungeons, maidens and knights
Long crusades and dark fights
Swords and spears, cudgels and maces
Forged and used in many places

Dragons and witches, warlocks and mages
Have been living for many ages
Forest and valley, dune and shore
Will live to see ages more

Atop the Dragon by Woshonkai
---------------

Soaring through the clear blue sky
Above the mountains way up high
The world below for my eye
Atop the Dragon I fly.

Flying through the dark of night
The moons pale glow shine so bright
Stars above we reach for height
Atop the Dragon in flight.

Morning light dawns pale and true
Soon to light the sky so blue
The end was nearing I knew
Atop the Dragon I flew.

Rest on ground, I say goodbye
Try my hardest not to cry
We fly again you and I
Atop Dragon I will fly.

Darkness by Woshonkai
--------

Primordial darkness
rising from the depths.
Mighty god's of war
seeking human flesh.
Darkness spreading quickly,
covering sea and land.
Mortal weeping everywhere,
no aid from thought or act.

Land covered with blood,
corpses decorate my path.
My boots soaked with mud,
I see my land in flames.
God's of what are these,
who wreck are spread their wrath.
I see no light in this.
this battle of old and new.

I take my sword and vow,
to a god more old than these.
I sacrifice my freedom,
to serve without regret.
In the inferno that surrounds me,
I feel no flame nor heat.
Shall the darken angels guide me,
In the name of God I slay.

Oh, rise my voice higher,
let it be heard.
Take me for thy champion,
and let me slay as thee.
Give me thy eternal darkness,
to spread thy holy seed.

A poem (or two) by Lallyan Dresnor
---------------

Eternal flame renewed
Dust to dust, Ashes to ashes
Arise from fire flashes
Beauty un-seen and not matched
Ugly when first hatched.
Flowing power, colored of Night
Stalking prey as if Divine Right
Rippling across a liquid death
Claws that draw breath.
Never ending, truly always beginning
Watches the young grow fat, and the old thinning
From the first day to the Last
Future, Present, Always, Past.

Starlight beauty, hellfire scorn
Turns hardened warriors forlorn
Never truly leaves, always a part
Stays in the deepest of hearts.

This is in memory of the Late Umea Tristoc, who taught me so
many riddles of life.

Scribed by Lallyan Dresnor, Novice of Herald

(The titles of these poems are lost to the ages. -II
Further note- I'm not certain if this is one poem or two. Regardless, enjoy.)

A Poem for Stryth'oween by Rires
-----------------------

Today is a day for cackles and terror
Where a few foul words are never an error.
Flying through the air the three witches are seen,
And walking the earth gremlin eyes gleam.
The day where the bunny of eggs hides in his den,
Where the great Claus of Stryth hides behind men:
A time for evil to pronounce its great name!
An era of light being butchered and made lame!
Strythoween is a day among sweets.
Calls made for wine, beer, and very fine meats.
A calling for ghouls and a shade to the light.
A day for all of evil to always take flight.

(This poem was revised from its original form for greater clarity in format. -II)

The Dark Stryth-o-ween by Volitia
----------------------
This poem was the runner-up winner in the Stryth'oween contest

A tale of horror is soon to unfurl
all youthful in spirit draw neigh
Sit at the feet of the Serin elite,
what you'll hear they beheld with their eyes!
There were days when the town of Timaran was known
as New Thalos, I guess you might know
and a Ghastly beast did appear in the land
and did claim the quiet town as its own
The beast did confuse all the parts of the town
like a labyrinth, which solved left you dead
for the strength of the beast could tear any man down
with one swipe could he lop off a head

Now the town of New Thalos was then and is now
Protected by Justice from man or beast foul
So the lawkeepers gathered and gave it their all
And together they fought and together did fall
But the bravery of men was noticed that day
by the Gods of us all who the beast mortal made
Came together as one on that dark Stryth-o-ween
From every race and from every guild
all paths then united and took to the field

The battle was long and with each person slain
the beast's strength waxed and the hope of men waned
for days the war waged on the chaotic beast
and the corpses were countless that littered the streets
but Justice' resolve, though tired would not dwindle
and the banner was raised and the vigor rekindled
and a group of eighteen of the masters of guilds
Fought with honor and prowess... and they the beast killed

and though peace was restored to New Thalos that day
it was stained red with blood and was never the same
and the ghost of the beast once a year does return
Not in flesh, but in spirit and you now may learn
That the wailing of wind as it whips through the trees
Is the cry of the beast of the dark Stryth-o-ween

A Poem for Stryth'oween by Rothan
-----------------------

This day of merriment, this day of delight,
is often filled with unholy fright.
The darkest of evils, the purest of light,
come out in droves for celebration and fight.
The young, the old, the wicked, and the meek,
all lust after creatures for just this one night.
Feasting and drinking by all that partake,
coffins are filled by those that are weak.
Today our fears are buried in pleasure,
while beings of mischief plunder our treasure.
As the moon wanes, the wonderment begins to fade,
most have bedded down, or are asleep in the grave.
An Immortal reveals himself and grins from ear to ear,
a mountain goat now bares a tattoo, "Stryth was here".
The essence of His being, the content of tales and myths,
now returns home, back to the Dark Lord Stryth.

A Poem for Stryth'oween by Delsa
-----------------------
This poem won the Stryth'oween contest.

Traversing through the forest depths
On stealthy, hairy feet I crept
Unseen eyes did follow me
On the eve of Stryth'oween

Something in the woods was wrong
A fleeting feeling come and gone
My humble halfling ranger's eyes
were showing me unholy lies

Beings of death walked nigh unseen
Gross, twisted, deformed, obscene
Returning from beyond their graves
Looking for some Serin slaves

The normally bright and cheery trees
Held no love for such as these
Ancient woods would not be cowed
They rumbled and they groaned aloud

I came to help them in their need
Together with my panther steed
We spotted many druids and rangers
Some were friends, others strangers

Brought together for this cause
Sharp of weapon, teeth and claws
Protecting the forests with our lives
Keeping Serin safe at night

Celebrating in the towns
Laughing at the jests of clowns
Most Serins did not appreciate
What could easily have been their fate

Many we lost this time last year
Keeping the forest pathways clear
Of ghouls, zombies and things most foul
but we can not throw in the towel

So tip a mug of ale for us
In our alertness you can trust
We who live more wild and free
and watch your backs on Stryth-oween.

Rhythmus by Ellora
--------
watch the pendulum and listen:
the silver bells are tolling
for whom? the recipient is unknown
someone chants outside in the street
uttering the words of a foreign language

what is happening
the sky darkens
some sound rumbling high above
and sudden patters of the feathery rain
drip drip dripping down
against the cool white stone walls
dark red, almost black

is it a death?
the bell tolls
is it a birth?
the bell tolls
is it a death?
dark red, almost black
against the cool white stone walls
drip drip dripping down
and sudden patters of the feathery rain
some sound rumbling high above
the sky darkens
what is happening

watch the pendulum and listen
for the silence behind the sound
in the mustiness of the damp dark cathedral
searching for something
washed away by rain
searching for something
in the mustiness of the damp dark cathedral
for the silence behind the sound
watch the pendulum and listen

what is happening
the sky darkens
some sound rumbling high above

and far below
tremors
flaming
an angel falls by the window
heaven follows in its wake
smoking trajectories searing the sky
hold up your arms and cry
for peace
silence
innocence
life
lost
life
innocence
silence
for peace

smoking trajectories sear the sky
heaven follows in its wake
an angel falls by the window
flaming
tremors
and far below:

uttering the words of a foreign language
someone chants outside in the street
for whom? the recipient is unknown
the silver bells are tolling
watch the pendulum and listen...

Omnipresence by Vanisse Lareme
------------

Here in the waves:
Your body tattooed with the shifting silhouettes
of a thousand rainbows
a hundred saline smiles lifting the ringlets of your hair
in the vibrant current
As I watch you drift away
your memories leach unaided in the wake
of your waning tide
Your child's laughter at seventeen rings
fresh as a newborn babe
in the chortles of a dolphin
And despite this life, your life
now living as effervescent sparkles in the vastly infinite ocean
I'm still standing upon this shore
with your hand in mine
waiting for you
to open your eyes and see.

(This was written during the Great Lady of Luck's time as a mortal. -II)

Dioraem's Poem of Remembrance by Alehem
-----------------------------

Fierce loyalty in a warrior's frame
Deft in wood, dale and every glen
Humble Knight, seeking no fame
With the Light he feared no Dark Den

A coffee cup, a rope about the waist
Strange indeed was this little one
He acted calm, and rarely in haste
Narry a bone to pick with anyone

Consumed at last by an unfair foe
This halfling is lost, to Serin and Valour's woe.

A Poem to A Love by Zanderic
----------------
As a star that glimmers deep in black curiosity so is the light that
is you. Something, somehow, escapes words to paint the picture
that is you. Even with pure incredible persistence you fend off the
words I choose. Beautiful, special, my moon, my heaven, are all
understatements. The portal called my world cracked and
shattered while traveling at the speed of life. My reach, my sight,
grasped the new world that has come. Like an angel from above
you descended to me. With your gentle hands covered by the
glimmer of a clear night sky, I gasped for a definition of the
feelings I had as I was embraced by your arms. Your hair danced
wild in a vacuum frozen in time and space. Your bosom soft and
supple projected a steady beat of drums. Your lips. Oh my God
your lips. The addiction that I crave. A fiend, a beast in search for
bloody meat, I hunt for your kiss. I feel your voice echoing in my
soul yet unheard by my ears. Words that define need not be
spoken for feelings are too great for that. Your eyes, that gleam in
pure infinite wonder, will never lack for my attention. I travel the
galaxy without a map of stars, lost in your eyes.

In the Wild by Alehem
-----------

When winter first begins to bite
And stones crack in the frosty night,
When pools are black and trees are bare,
'Tis evil in the wild to fare.
when cold winds in sky do blow
And the darkening of the Sun heralds woe,
When storms fret night with care
'Tis evil in the wild to fare.
When after the darkness gives way
And coming of Sun heralds Day
Warmth caresses all without a care
'Tis good then, in the wild to fare.

Alchemy by Vanisse
-------

Let's face it:
the it that is unspeakable
the it that is locked here
under my throat like a stone.

Though I cannot uncast my granite
I let a not-quite-petrified finger draw
in the dust, so that its
misplaced particles might
take those unformed tears
and turn them into diamonds.

Ode to Inspiration by Vanisse
------------------

Because the sound of an imagined hum
illuminates upon these gentle keys
a light so softly clear
and in the peace
and silence of a midnight reverie
immortal forth our combined creation
appears, a humble dogging of your feet

the tension striving for perfection stays
(each feathered finger's touch so ginger in
its own progression, cautioned not to step
awry--it might disturb this surgeon's hand
that tugs not only puppet bodies' hearts,
but also tethers to our naked souls)
the one manipulation I would find,
of all temptations, irresistible.

(The above poems were written by the Great Lady of Luck, Vanisse,
during her time as a mortal. -II)

Trapped, a Poem by Xazappith
---------------

Alone in the dark I sit and I scream.
The terror is real, not only a dream.
No one can hear me and no one will come.
I've tried to get out, but there's no place to run.
The sun on my face and my shadow on the ground
Are naught now but memories drifting around.
The walls close in and my panic grows.
No way out now, to another realm I go.
My mouth is dry and my stomach is tight
I've been here too long and I won't last the night
I lay here now, too weak to move
Once a great woman I've nothing more to prove.
A light appears and draws near to me
Finally I am starting to see.
This is the price that I must pay
For taking a chance and losing my way.
The light is fading and I'm warm again
I get the feeling that I'm among friends.
Floating above my trap I can see
My poor shriveled corpse splayed before me.
Without remorse I fly far above
To the waiting arms of a forgotten love.

A True Story about Thkot by Unknown
------------------------

There are bunnies that live north of town
Whom everyone is always knocking down
Except for dear Thkot
Who attacks them not
And threatens their foes with a frown.

A Journey by Xazappith
---------

On a journey I go
Following a star
I know not where it leads
though it's probably far
So don't worry
I may stray
But when the night comes
I'll find my way
Shortly I'll return
Better than when I departed
I'll miss you, I will
So don't be downhearted
With the dawn comes the sun
And with the dusk, the moon
I love you my friends
and I'll be home soon.
-Xaza

A Poem for the Gnome Warrior by Xazappith
----------------------------

Short in stature was this gnome
Who one day came to me
But tall in courage that he was
Oh what a sight to see
To see this gnome stand up and fight
When he had no chance to win
Yet despaired he never did
He always came back again
Until one day he'd had enough
With this useless fighting he was done
He'd seen one too many of his corpses
Rotting beneath the noonday sun
It is time for me to go he said
Added a good bye and he was gone
Forgotten now forever more
Cept in the lyrics of this song.
-Xaza

The Passing of Innocence by Guthfar, the humbled thief
------------------------

To love, to life, a young ranger's heart
the thought, the mind, at barely a start

A girl, a child, so carefree in ways
Her joy, her laughter, filled up her days

Her pen, her quill, both kept for her own
Her thoughts, the scrolls, came seldom alone

This life, this love, over shadow cast
Her joy, her laugh, they were not to last

The battle, the blood, to them she was drawn
The fight, the war, she became their pawn

Her quill, her joy, she left them to lie
Her thoughts, her love, she left them to die
And thus passes innocence, and another friend to the sword.

Untitled - Huotoyoxi
--------

I once roamed Serin with a girl,
eyes like diamonds,
hair like silk.
She was perfect, slim and sleek,
Capable
of handling
herself, without need
for a guiding hand,
a commiserating arm.

I once roamed Serin with a girl,
hands like wind,
smile like gold.
This girl she was spectacular,
strong and assured,
yet tender and sweet
At once did I fall in love with her,
but never ever,
was she told.

I once roamed Serin with a girl,
her corpse decrepit,
no longer alive.
But daily, do I miss her so,
yearning for her
smile and voice.
To travel and roam with again,
with companionship
and so much more.
I once roamed Serin with a girl,
no more than a hopeful dream.

Back behind me,
in the distant past.
Yet soon,
shall I see her again,
to travel free
in the path of death.
How I look forward,
to that day,
when life does end,
while it begins.

My Creative Piece - Azerayhna
-----------------

Pearls by the riverside
Dresses in the stream
Bodies in the ocean tide
Dead ones in your dreams

Children playing on the rocks
to slip and fall as sure as not
blood to stick as wet moss grows
bodies n the broken stones

Sing and dance around the alter
Playing devlish children games
Fire circles this encounter
Bodies are the virgin offer

Troub'ling are such little shows
of little girls and fiendish woes
but death, o death, you take them in
to slowly win your hand within

Desire for a Blazing Fire by Jyra
-------------------------
(a warning to the pyro within)

It starts with a flame
The intense desire for a blazing fire
From the flame comes the smoke
Which feeds the desire for a blazing fire

Smoke rises above the trees
Proclaiming the desire for a blazing fire
The flames licks at autumn's leaves
Feeding the desire for a blazing fire.

Animals cry for burns suffered
Because of a desire for a blazing fire
Bird flee the terrible scene
Afraid of the desire for a blazing fire

The flames die down at last
Exhausted by the desire for a blazing fire
A man lays dead and charred in the woods
Killed by the desire for a blazing fire.

Lamentation by Vanisse
-----------
(Note - this was written by the Great Lady of Luck during her time as a mortal. -II)

Ah! my goddess, I beseech you:
Do not leave me for the sky,
for in your ascent I
can no longer see
your face
it is
whitened
to blankness, and your
features similarly
swept clean
of dust
and
all my memories

A Poem by Maxten
------

Your love is like a flower, something I hold dear. Before I knew your love's
beauty, I was alone in a world filled with pain, grief, and sorrow. You came
along and the darkness parted showing me the beautiful rose in my heart
that had bloomed from your love. When I hear your voice I smile, when I
look into your eyes I blush, and when I kiss your sweet lips my own love for
you grows, for I am truly happy when I am with you my angel, my queen,
my one true love.

If Only: A Poem by Azerayhna
---------------

If only
I was how you wanted me to be
If only
I would stop breaking us apart
If only
I could use my tears to heal you
If only
You could love me the way I am
If only
I could love you as you should be
If only
I could be any one but me
If only
We could start over again

The Storm by Jyra
---------

A drop of rain falls
from the clouds
on the flowers
on the ground.

A drop of rain splatters
to the ground
on the grass
by my foot

Rivers tumble from the sky
Soaking my body
filling my bones
with a chill.

The wind blows my hair
whips the autumn leaves
spits water in my eyes
and it stings

My eyes leak water
which mixes with the rain
which runs down my cheeks
to spatter on the ground

Rivulets carry the leaves
carry the water
carry the tears
away.

The wind blows the clouds
blows the rain
blows itself
away.

The sun shines on the flowers
dries the ground
dries my skin
warms my soul.

In the sky a rainbow glows
spreading light
spreading beauty
and giving hope

After the rain the land is fresh
Flowers are fed
the earth is soft
and we can live
again.

Thirty by Jyra
------

Thirty is sneaking up on me
There's a wrinkle I can see
No longer young
My hat is hung
But my wit is as sharp as can be

Cards With the Gods by Jyra
-------------------

It started off normal, an ordinary day
When news of a game came drifting my way

To Seringale I wandered, hoping to see
Some skill at this game, so new to me.
Three hands had been dealt, but only two were there
'Is the dealer playing?' I thought, 'That's hardly fair.'

I decided to watch, and only a few minutes I waited
Before the answer became clear, and the dealer stated
'The maximum bet is now 2000 gold,
Davairus you may call, raise or fold.'

A poke to my side stung me like a knife
As the game ended and the God threatened "Your money or your life"
Together we sat for several more hours
The ninja, the God and I, three warring powers

I left with my pockets fuller than they were
Don't ask me what happened, it's a bit of a blur.
I may not know the rules, and I may not know the odds
But it was an opportunity not to be missed, playing cards with the Gods.

Treachery by Ankaro Sajirastales
---------

The sun
someone
will run
into
a stew
for who,
who knew
that he'd
fall through
his greed
ensue
your gold
he takes
this bond
he breaks
and you
go to
the moon.

Untitled by Unknown
--------

This is the hand that will blind your eyes and split your spine
This is the blade that'll visit your flesh and release the wine
You play with toys that have course
and you hear how the chaos moves near
I play with razors and it hurts, it hurts
As you invite your fears
So face the chaos and I'll teach you about fire in the blink of an eye
The worlds collide and you know it's the dagger that I hide
Run!
You run for the borders where epistles burn in the arms of man
Run!
You run among bodies and they scream, they scream to bite God's hand
When the dark does what the dark does best, It's darkness!
Let the dark do what the dark does best, Let there be darkness!
When the light does what light does best, It's the heaven!
Let the light do what the light does best, Let there be heaven!
Let the halfling do what halfling does best, there will be chaos!

(Note - No indication was given as to the author or title of this poem. -II)

Risa's Limerick by Unknown
---------------

Upon one dark and dreary evening
The lonely Risa was aggrieving.
Her brother waited by the gate,
Despite the fact that it was late
And he thought she was him deceiving.

Kalerin's Love by Unknown
--------------

O once upon the darkest span time
A scribe named Kalerin fell deep in love,
And showered down his most exquisite rhyme
On Candra, Knight of Valour, his sweet dove.
Despite the war with Mystics and the fell,
They loved each other with two steadfast hearts
And on the war they wisely did not dwell,
Until poor Candra from the scribe did part.
She died in battle fighting for the light,
And ne'er returned to her dear Herald's sight.

(Note - No indication was given as to the author of these poems. -II)

Transcendence by Hass
-------------

There is a time when one
Is alone with his thoughts,
When one can close his eyes
And feel a part
Of everything.

He has no regrets,
Desire, Emotions.
He merely exists,
Like a small boat
Led by the currents
Of the ocean.

Although he is solitary,
Alone with his mind,
He feels connected
With every being
In the universe.

It is at a time like this
When one transcends the
Ever-present impediment of
Time.

Untitled Number One by Veritori, Squire of Olyn
-------------------

A mace, it is told
Has power to behold
When in the hands of the Righteous.
This wrathlike caress,
It holds no love
For those who hide from the light above.
Diamonds sit and deliver death
To those who stray from the chosen path.
There is but one thing to stay alive
And for this all should truly strive:
Keep to the path and do not stray,
Or surely you will be made to pay.

Untitled Number Two by Veritori
-------------------
A darkened sky, a moonless night,
The stars quiver and shake.
Beyond the vale an evil stirs
That shall make grown men quake.
Be on your guard, keep your eyes keen,
Let nothing come between you and your blade,
You have but one chance to keep your soul.
A place that is not in shade,
But in the light from above.

On Love and War by Wren
---------------

Sing now my muse, but not of love's sweet plight.
My mood no more permits this damsel's game.
I long for war, battle, glory, and fame!
Hear this, my plea for songs of steel tonight.

Young girls may pine for love's true light,
But gods know best the heat of mortal flame
Burns bright within fighters, not lovestruck dames!
So sing to me, my muse, of blood's pure might.

Forgotten battles long since left untold,
Sing now the names of men both great and small.
How I long to hear those clashing blades of yore!
But they all's fair in love and war (or so I'm told),
And all beneath this red, red sun must fall.
Between the two, fame's flame fades long before.

Untitled by Applicant Verdell
--------

There once was a ninja dancing all ground.
Fighting a warrior who bashed him to the ground!'
Fleeing and resting was the only chance for a win!
While the warrior drank on his gin!
When the ninja came back the warrior was so drunk!
That the ninja banged a weapon against his head "THUNK"
The ninja laughed as he was so glad!
Only to find out that it only made the giant mad!
Fleeing for the hills was his game!
While the giant drank and forgot his own name!
The Ninja believed that his weapon was too weak!
So he found himself a sword with a very sharp peak!
The ninja came to the giant when it was already too late!
The giant drank himself to death on his own bait!

Untitled by Applicant Verdell
--------

A young mother traveled through a land plagued by weather
Escorting the infant was her only wish.
Gusting winds, freezing chills, it was not getting better.
The only food she carried was a rations dish.
Starving herself, she fed the young one.
Weak were her legs, but determined to keep moving.
Her blood was nearly frozen which was no fun.
She came across a ranger who appeared to be roving.
Passionate was this man who built them a campfire!
The woman was quite flattered and could not think.
Perhaps she found her true desire.
Four months later they married without a blink!
Years later the infant learned the arts of the ranger!
Devoting himself to helping others was his birth right!
Never scared and never running from the sense of danger!
He was granted Squireship, soon to be a Knight!

The Biography of Bankushin by Applicant Wylez
--------------------------

Stern of face, and hard of heart,
I was with him from the start.
I watched him grow, from a lad,
And become a man, oh so bad.
His eyes were filled with an evil spark,
It was then I knew, he belonged to the dark.
As we traveled the emerald region,
he told me his soul was to Legion.
When to them, he was bound,
In my ears I heard an awful sound.
Alas ! I thought this is my end,
For my soul and body he will rend.
No longer friends, for I had lost his affection,
But all he said was 'buy protection'.
So on that day, we each went our own way.
For the loss of my friend, I did weep,
But the memory of him is mine to keep.
Should you have wished to know him as well,
To you this tale, I would tell.

The Bear by Applicant Wylez
--------

Sleeping soundly months go by.
Hunger awakens the sleeping beast.
Forests all around freedom he roams.
Guided by his stomach, food he seeks.
Things he sees, things he smells lead him down the path.
On and on he must go to find his treasure.
Honey and berries he finally finds.
His quest if over his stomach full he naps once more.

Amnesia by Triffilina
-------

Misplaced, I deconstructed my surroundings
looking for a lost sign.
Out of the darkness a thought would spring
and I'd chase its eccentric leaps as it cricket-hopped
through space in a panic -
but then, in the end, only a seam seeped through
or the frayed edge of an unhemmed leg.
Never the whole, I was relegated to fragments.
That was how it sang, after all.
My eye had been trained on misconceptions.

Fragments by Triffilina
---------

Silence and sound are ceaseless here, seamlessly intermingling:
iron tolling against the docked side of a ship,
seagulls accenting the crescendoes of trees-
the light too plays in full spectrum, casting
solar puppetry upon grass, hair and pebbles of sand.

In a creative moment you can imagine the crunch
of gravel beneath lemon-webbed feet
as a curious/hungry bird approaches leather shoes resting in the sun.
Flight is also silent, a gradient of black and white
trailing a memory through undisturbed sky.

Untitled by Wylez, Master Scribe of Heralds
--------

I was at the Travellers' Rest, drinking a bottle of the house best,
when I thought myself drunk with the Winks and the Nods,
I do believe we have seen the Return of the Gods!
From opposing Ethos, and all different Races,
sheer looks of determination on their faces.
So BEWARE!, all you devious and crafty lot,
or your corpse may be left to rot!
From the mighty implementor of Mischief Resatimm,
To the muse Vevier, the gnome of wit and whim!
And to the opposite sides of the Light,
Valiant Jaran, and Mighty Olyn have joined the fight!
They have come to walk Serin again,
To observe Mortals as they shield their eyes from Truth and commit Sin!
So, Beware all you breakers of the Sacred Scrolls,
Their Wrath upon you could be the end of your Souls!

I Stand Alone by Vaelyn
-------------

Who can say why the water falls?
The marker rests softly on the edge
I wonder if the boot lives in fear
My body stands alone

My senses are too keen today
The pieces do not fit together
I wonder if my thoughts will be made clear
My mind stands alone

Perhaps it is the rain
Wine does not always fill the cup
I wonder if the moon howls in silence
My spirit stands alone

I know only that I dream
There is nothing there for me
I wonder if I am
I stand alone

Tales from the Bottle by Vaelyn
---------------------

We're drinking and we're laughing
at the firebreather fountain and
the sober wisdom falls in short supply.

Arvar's my companion, not a
Sergeant or a Captain, and
he's drinking half of Serin in his mind.

A voice from nowhere whispers twice.
The room, it shows its dizzy side.
My legs don't work. My eyes are blind.
I don't think I'll be feeling right
anytime (soon).

Then the Keeper kills the Legion
and the Mystic comes to see me, but
I'm drunk like Trogm after a fight.

Arvar, my companion, has a
bottle for the masses and we
think it's Iggy's turn to take a bite.

So we stumble and we stagger
through the plains and up the ladders
to where the pyros and the Bar-Igura cry.

The elemental iceballs twice.
The Faction shows its frigid side.
More magic seeds from paradise
I don't think I'll be feeling right
anytime (soon).

We're drinking and we're laughing
at the firebreather fountain and
the sober wisdom falls in short supply.

Arvar's my companion, wants to
find his girl romantic and
he knows she likes him but he wonders why.

The crow of karma calls out twice.
The streets then show their quiet side.
The sun may never fail to rise.
I don't think I'll be feeling right
anytime (soon).

Live, Love, Wait by Vaelyn
----------------

Live your life for your own love
Tenderness should never not be shown
All the way to her own heart
Don't ever think she'll never want to know

Live your life for your own love
Mine is still standing at her turn
Under the weeping willow
Searching for the proper place to burn

Live your life for your own love
Take the time to make a few mistakes
Empty your head of anger
Sit back to back, but never stop to wait

Live your life for your own love
Apathy should never turn to hate
The courage of a hero
Or a zero, can only ever link your pain to fate

Live, Love, and Wait

The Juggernaut by Vaelyn
--------------

I am but a swordsman and my tale has not been told
I have traded my adventures
For a life of watching others duel and collecting bets of gold

It's been a hundred years since my family was taken by the war
And I carry recollection
Like a badge of some dishonor now faded into lore

I have a home in the city, not the streets of Seringale
Nor the shanties nor the stores
It's in the lonely hearts of widows and a tankard full of ale

There are some who mean to harm me, to strike me down and more
And I wish that they would learn
Why the hate consumes their souls, I only guard the door

They pass my door to earn glory, seek fortune, or gain fame
What kind of man of honor
Would waste his life in battle, so some may know his name?

I am but a swordsman and my end has been foretold
I have cast aside my countenance
For regret and inner turmoil, I'm finally growing old

It's been a hundred years since my life was lost and I am all alone
And I carry deploration
Forever lost to happiness, now that sorrow has been sown

Your Touch, Your Smile by Vaelyn
----------------------

I'll tear down these walls that I built on the hill for you
And puncture the crevice of pain that I fell into
What can I say that I waited for you to do
Into the mist of the rain that is pouring through

Your touch
Your smile
Can make holes that I cannot defend
Your touch
Your smile
Will rupture my soul in the end

I cannot recall what it is that you said to me
That first time we met you would argue so patiently
Never again will you leave me so willingly
How can you run from the river into the sea

Your touch
Your smile
Can make holes that I cannot defend
Your touch
Your smile
Will rupture my soul in the end

Destiny rules all my life I can never wait
Or alter the words that my mind cannot tolerate
Over the line in the sand there is no debate
Don't try to hide from the truth that I consecrate

Your touch
Your smile
Can make holes that I cannot defend
Your touch
Your smile
Will rupture my soul in the end

Now you can go to the love that you still deny
Altered by fate is the life that we'll never try
Release the hold on my heart that will never die
Don't you believe that your instincts were just a lie

Your touch found a hole
Your smile ruptured my soul

Enough by Farael
------

You can't capture many things with a poem.

You can't capture the scent of fresh earth and pine,
of wildflowers breathing
You can't capture the soft whir of your wings
or the crickets' pulsing rhythms
You can't hear the wind sighing in your ears
or feel the sunset sinking cold into your skin.

You can't catch the trail a leaf leaves in the sky as it falls,
nor the way the birches shiver in the wake of a rumbling storm.
Even the waves of the ocean abandon their playfulness and stand still,
and in doing so lose the momentum that makes waves waves.

You can't ensnare the elusive reason why
your heart hurts when the sun touches the bowed heads of wild grasses
You can't trap the tininess you feel standing between the trees.

You can't capture many things with a poem,
but you can trigger a memory with it,

And sometimes that's enough.

Time Traveler's Wife by Farael
--------------------

They warned me this would happen,
but I didn't listen. I said the love of my life
was enough for me.

And that was the end of it.

Now, she speaks:
time transmutes to light,
mountains and valleys interchange,
civilizations scurry like mice in a deserted theater.

Then silence descends.
Eons emerge from seconds of pause
(I can feel my molecules breathing).

Some nights, when she is asleep
and the world is drifting quietly again,
I wonder how it would have felt
had we never met
if life would just have crept,
dogged, complacent,
leaving me with no glimpse of macro- or micro-scopes,

only simple reality.

Terror by Farael
------

unlike fog
these sinister tendrils lash
venomous, hungry

hands clutch electrified lifelines
tearing, searing open wounds
the world shudders, heaves, inverses:

hope vanishes...

submerged, fetuses of fathomless dread
crawl forth from unpunctured bowels
and entwine dark limbs
about unbroken spines, purring

(blind eyes flash white with panic

separated by tumultuous cumuli
the sea briefly mirrors the sky
with pairs of unseen stars)

Dreamer by Farael
-------
Convince me,
for every sunbeam questions your existence.

The air wrapping each empty branch wrinkles
with whispers of words once tumbled from your lips.

Faceless figures wearing stolen fragments
file past, backs front,
silent - until a touch rends their tissue paper costumes

pieces of you drift to the floor
strangers emerging from familiar chrysalises
exchange odd glances for confusion.

Cheated,
tormented,
I retreat.

At dusk, disappearing,
squirrel paws etch shadows of your awakening.
I wait, breath bated, as day's formata shrinks
to slivers and stitch marks patterning across the sky.

Consciousness by Farael
-------------

Sinking stickily into soft tissue,
a viscous heartbeat murmurs.
We pulse; our minds align and disperse.

Somewhere, two photons
born of different stars
collide and shatter.

What matters?
Where do we fit?
What roles do we play?

Seven years ago
a cat bore her litter
beneath the tree
whose apples we picked as children.

So crisp, so sweet:
here and there
we left imprints of innocence.

Creation by Farael
--------

before the clock learned to spin,
there was sound. we gathered it
in our mouths like fishes
and ruminated forth morsels
of blindly feeling fingers.
thus, hand over hand, we pulled
from each other's ears
ropes of consciousness.
(everyone was a magician then.)

when our curiosity was sated
we let light spill. it pooled
around our pitch-black footprints
and revealed perfectly circular paces,
but our eyes had not yet evolved,
so no one noticed. instead,
we commented on the unusual warmth
and gently, evenly, panicked.

by the time we realized our folly
seasons had sprouted,
and days,
and lives,
and madness.
by then it was too late to walk straight
our minds curved infinitely upon themselves
and free will had been relinquished.

Elegy by Farael
-----

Descend, o wing'd ones,
and open your eyes.

The branches where I taught you flight
no longer stretch to the sky
and the rivers lie full of the fallen.

Yet, surrounded by bones,
already the grass rises green,
and their spidery shoots yield to seeking lips.

Sodden, unsightly, a squirrel braved the rain
some days past to find its cache here,
where your nest lies broken
and your babes give their youth to the spring.

A Killer on the Loose by Yarianne
---------------------

The heart beats, ever harder
Looking around I see no threat.
But there's always the fear that he is smarter
And I search and search for his silhouette.

Alone, I run and hide in the trees
Hoping he'll be fooled and believe this deception.
My knees tremble and my heart starts to seize
I miss my strong friends and all their protection.

This time I'm lucky, this time he passes
This time I'm alive, my hide secure
But his name is printed-on all our asses!
And I'm afraid that I'll fear forever more.

Ode to My Little Fox by Jahobe
--------------------

Oh, little red fox, how I love to watch you play
As you hunt your prey in the cutest little way.
Your tail so bushy
Your hair so fine
I'm so very lucky
That my fox be mine.

Oh, little red fox, with such soft paws
I love the way you dig with sharp claws.
Lying in wait
Every mouse to devour
You're gaining weight
With every hour

Oh, little red fox, red just like me
You're the best friend can be
I know you don't mean
That you might
With your teeth keen
Mangle with your bite

Oh, little red fox, you ate my foes
Also my two fingers and three toes.
So much to trace
What should I do
Scars on my face
A hole in my shoe

Oh, little red fox, I think its time
That you no longer be mine
Into the wild
I release you
My little child
Now is my cue

Oh, little red fox
Goodbye......

At Least Five Made-Up Words Rhyme with Iniquity by The Lark
-----------------------------------------------

All foul things must come to an end
as blood comes from steel and ink from a pen
The ash from cold embers won't burn again...

I speak of the time when our paths did not cross
and weary of shadows that follow our loss
Let us rectify, amplify the cost

Humor my whims and I'll pleasure your brains
with tales of outlandish things that I made
Passionate should have been one of my names

I was given but six, the seventh I took
without reason or rhyme or help from a book
Such will I sign, for any who look

The world does not care how the words flow
or if they fly and drift
like
my
soul

That's the end of my line.

Days Uncertain by The Lark
--------------

days uncertain
behind
thoughts and each other
linger
an hour
a day
melting past
hearts singing with feeling
last
a minute apart
lifetimes we miss
longing
for you
the moment we kiss
a second is a hope
a dream coming true
never
expecting to lead me to you
darling
lover
goddess
friend
together
forever never ends

That's the end of my line.

The Reason of Life by Savas Takashi
------------------

To live a life full of lust and greed,
To watch your friends hurt and bleed,
To find a reason for it all,
To take a stand or crumble and fall,
We will try to make the best,
In the end we will be like all the rest,
Take it all as if it is a test,
Never quit and never give in,

A Sad Lonely Mountain by Andrael
---------------------

A beautiful land, full of green,
that had a lovely glass's sheen.

On a tall, solitary mountain,
the green could not maintain.

The silent peak started to cry,
deep red tears that burned all dry.

The mountain's sadness turned it,
a raging beast that died bit by bit.

After the darkened, sad days passed,
the light of the sun crept back in.

The green came back and surpassed,
the mountain couldn't help but grin.

The green forgave the mountain spite,
even though its anger was bitter.

The mountain died and slept with sprites,
as he was fuel for the growth of a litter.

War! by Vanisse
----

Two storm giants stood on top of a hill,
decided to test their mettle and skill.
Hurtling lightning and bolts of wind,
they found themselves suddenly hungering.

One of them took out an apple to chew,
the other one lifted his herbal brew.
When by 'accident' the first's core hit his face,
and splashed that brew all over the place!

'TIS WAR!' cried he, that drenched old giant,
and flung a banana peel, soaring so pliant.
To splat on his opponent's startled forehead,
and so began the fruit war of dread...

Unnamed Poem by Olyn
------------

There once was a man from all places,
who shaped all his oranges like maces.
When the weather was right,
he'd start many a fight.
By smashing them in people's faces.

(The two poems above were written by Lord Olyn and Lady Vanisse as immortals. -II)

A Moonlight Serenade by Benno, the Chronicler
--------------------

In the dark gentle stillness
In depths of night she waits for me
Kind patient loving eternally

In soft warm tendril breezes
She waits for me night after night
She always comes eventually

In chill cold frost winter nights
Still she comes by night she waits for me
In ghost lit pale serene beauty

In admiration admire her shape anew
This wonderful feeling experience share intensity
Mystery passion is heartfelt endlessly

In nights constant enduring admiration
Heart swells in appreciation together or alone
Moon whispers, sings nocturnally

Spider and a Fly by Benno
----------------

A Spider climbing on the wall with his eight eyes turned on prey
Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the fly
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to show when you are there..

Poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held the fly fast.
He dragged it up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour .. but the fly never came out again!

The Colours of Nature by Benno
---------------------

Nature is full of colors
With beautiful scented flowers
If you're in a forest or a park
It's nice even in the dark!

Nature is full of beasts and birds
With so many shrubs and ferns
It's mountains are very high
They almost touch the sky

Nature has its deserts
And nature has its plains
At times it's sunny
Sometimes it rains

Travelers in River Adelon by The Reptile Journalist
-------------------------

Reflections in the water, flowing,
Directions for the way, its knowing,
Connections with the breeze thats blowing,
As this river travels on.

Confusion as the birds do flutter,
Intrusion and some shrews do scutter,
Profusion of flies, fish do splutter,
As this river travels on.

Creation of wealth there to be seen,
Location perfect, beauty serene,
Elation, sparkling aquamarine,
As this river travels on.

A Sonnet for Serenade by Benno, the Reptile Journalist
---------------------

We stand on the ground
Upon a turning page
Brandishing like a banner in the wind

Here in the branch of land
And the debris of its flipping leaves
And the page
that in its lines
Absorbs the ink of our fate

The book that from the green ink of our phase
Prints the unsettling song of its departures
With the words that
They seize hands to serenade

And to tune
The golden grove of our chests
When they burst in their love
And the white flutter of our wings
Grafting..
In the dove of our hearts

The graft like the rose's red sonnet of blooming
Like the sonnet of colors when they surrender to your eyes
And the worship of leaves
In temple of the stems..

Like the sonnet of sun's ridge
On the hackle of our hands
Like the nest of lights on branches of our faith

Like the sonnet of borderless regions
And remote lands
The sonnet of reborn paths
And the womb of the passages..
That is brimming of the rays of sunshine

For You by Yarianne
-------

I searched the world
and sought for you.
Alone, there was
naught else to do.

I returned to find
my absence wasted
For you were gone,
our love untasted.

What to do?
What to do?
Worth going on
if I don't have you?

What to do?
What to say?
My friend, I miss you.
Every day.

To You From Me by Unknown
--------------

To not meet was a shame,
But what could I do?
Where were you?
You have some fame,
I wish we could game.

As far as we go,
You wield the bow,
I do deeds very low.
This needs to grow!

I want you to read,
It is a need,
Come and heed,
Let's plant a seed!

A Battle Report by The Lark
---------------

I saw a bloody battle firsthand when I was in the forest.
Nitherius was hunting a nymph, but Syka was hunting him!
There was dirt flying toward their heads and chests.
Until Syka's little dagger caught Nitherius's chin!
I thought to help, but I had out my pen.
Instead I watched Nitherius's end.
From his body, Syka claimed potions and gold.
That was all before the corpse went cold.

There was more but I let it all go.
And just told the part that I thought you should know.

Sorrow by Unknown
------

A lover's sorrow knows no bounds.
Its torment can put you within the ground.
As you watch her smile and say hi.
Inside you feel like you are going to die.
For sadly her heart does not belong to you.
And there is nothing you can do.
Your heart would willing give.
Without her there is no reason to live.
Without her in my arms, I say.
I refuse to live another day.

Muffins by Unknown
-------

Muffins are so wonderfully tasty in my tummy!
I have no idea how they are so yummy.
Banana nut, blueberry or even bran.
I never knew I was such a fan!
The best ones come from a shop in Timiran.
I needed one so bad I even ran!
Cookies as tasty as they can be.
I do believe it is muffins for me!
Mama Vevier makes ones with no meat.
I do believe that is quite a feat!
But I hear it is harder to make muffins than cookies.
So do not leave the baking to the rookies!

(There is no indication of the author of these poems. -II)

Ninja by Rimera Aerinonth, the Alabaster Duchess
-----

Wind howls through the trees.
Embracing the shadow no one sees.
Her eyes, they never stray.
Forever locked upon her pray.
Movement is ever so still.
Awaiting the perfect time to kill.
Silent, forever in black.
The dagger kisses your back.
Death is now your only friend.
The Ninja has given you the final end!

Winter by Lauranne, the Anima Libera
------

Winter's plight ever pleading,
look at all the bleeding.

Pure white ridden with red,
like a beast to be fed.

Never to be known or seen,
who ever would be so mean?

Desecration by bruin,
a mass sight of ruin.

Shattered hope,
left to mope.

A weeping widow in a meadow,
Mourning the lost of love,
Ever sad by the lost of her dove.

Legacy
------

By what name do you wish to be remembered?
you have our attention now
undivided
Be you our early death?
or
our brightest star
whose warm light heals
us from the blight
perhaps... you are neither
perhaps,
you are neither wild
nor
orderly

Are you swaying with the
Oculus
of Equilibrium?

(if so, leave my things alone)

Are you aspiring to
be the realm's
greatest fisher
or thief?

your purpose
do no hide it!

What is your dream
when you are still awake

How will you be remembered?

Take your name
deep into your lungs
and shout it out loud
stand on the tallest mountain
and
let it echo

change the realm
today

tomorrow may be too late
tomorrow Darkhan my return
strike down all
that oppose him
raze the land
and
and just be all
angry

it could happen
these are strange times

(There is no indication of the author of this poem. -II)

Darkhan by Prost
-------

As all things are, in the view of a mortal,
Victims of perception, for we have but one portal.
Events become labeled by those who view.
Words like evil, and foul, and the like,
Get used all the time and abused, too.
One could call evil, and one call good, a head on a pike.
Subtlety and influence are tools that are often overlooked.
Seeds can be sown, and addicts become hooked.
The great Lord Darkhan, some have left behind.
To others, he is always to the front of their minds.
Act as you will, and fight for what you feel.
Follow your own path, and you should feel something real.

Shadows by Rimera Aerinonth, The Alabaster Duchess, Master Scribe of Heralds
--------

Shadows stalk in the night.
In your dreams causing fright.
Your sheets are soaked in sweat.
Skin cold, clammy, and wet.
Silently, in your sleep you cry.
The shadows bring your time to die.
Oh no, shadows at my side.
Coming to take the final ride.
No shadows please, go away.
I wish to live another day!
The morning comes and shadows fade.
No sight of the deadly nightshades.
So now I sleep, light on and open door.
Hoping as always, they return no more...

Love by Rimera Aerinonth, The Alabaster Duchess, High Herald of Serin
----

Love is forever seeing.
Love lives in every being.
Love can fill within your heart.
Love can tear your world apart.
Love can make you crazy.
Or as happy as a sun bathed daisy.
Love can make you cry.
Or soar into the sky.
Love can forever fill your soul.
Or bury you in a six foot hole.
Love is such a grand feeling!
Unless it sends your heart reeling!

Fish by Prost
----

I am no poet, this is what I have found to be true,
But here is a poem by me, if you read it it can be up to you.
Fishing, fishing, oh what fun.
While fishing one can learn a ton.
Set out from your hometown in search of a fish and you might find,
What you catch, might be knowledge you won't want to leave behind.
Fishing can be a very nice excuse for countless a thing,
An excuse to see the world, or to drink enough to make you sing!
Fishing can be fun, in good weather or in bad,
Also, losing one's bait can drive one completely mad.
As with all things in life, fishing is what you make it.
So keep in mind the right attitude and you won't have to fake it.

Virtue by Rimera Aerinonth, The Alabaster Duchess, High Herald of Serin
------

Virtue is not found within greed.
Virtue is not found within a seed.
Virtue can be found within your heart.
Virtue can get you off to a good start.
Virtue knows no race nor creed.
Virtue finds those who are in need.
Virtue lives in the deepest depth.
Virtue lies within those who have wept.
Virtue resides well within me.
Virtue is there for all to see!
Virtue lives within all of you!

Roses by Rimera Aerinonth, The Alabaster Duchess, High Herald of Serin
-----

What is in a Rose?
Perhaps it is the smell, who knows?
But they do not tickle my nose.
Could it be called by another name?
But would it ever be the same?
A Rose loves only the Sun.
Without its light there could be none.
The Rose and Sun joined like a lover's heart.
The two cannot stand to be apart.
But perhaps Roses love the rain.
Knowing this brings the Sun pain.
But perhaps they three work as one.
The love of the three cannot be undone.
The Rose as beautiful as can be.
Will always be a Rose to me.
No matter what a Rose is a Rose.
But it is all a matter of opinion I suppose...
Maybe we should all sometimes stop to smell the roses!

Poems by Prost, the Whisper of Influence
-----

A poem about poems, by someone who claims he isn't a poet!
I used to think poems could only come one way.
I thought poems had to have rhymes,
I also thought they should have a sense of time.
Then I learned that poems can have many, many forms.
Poems can also serve many purposes.
To entertain, to enlighten, to evoke emotion,
All these can be done through poem.
Poems can make you cry, or make your spirits fly!
Poems can make you think, or inspire you to drink!
So if you have some time, or care to make a rhyme,
Put yourself to the test, be better than the rest.
Become a poet, and your dreams may come true before you know it!

Cookies by Zeitleger
-------

Vanisse bakes cookies from Gnomes!
In the bellies of Heralds, they find homes!
Are they made from rump meat?
Or from parts less sweet?
I bet they're made to fuel poems!

Leaves Changing by Wreitha the Poetic Beastress of Nature
---------------

'So many of us fight with sword,
'And strike with fists against the hoards,
'But now my time in fray is done,
'My scars are healed my fight was won.

'I take my bow and hang it high,
'Above my sword and say goodnight,
'To all the blood that it has brought,
'And all the battles that I've fought.
'So here's to all the friends I've lost,
'The vanquished, dead, and all it cost...
'Was everything I had to give,
'The price I paid, just to live...

The Night Before Strythmas by Wreitha the Poetic Beastress of Nature
--------------------------

'Twas the night before Strythmas, when all through the land,
Nycticora was stalking and had her a plan.
The elves and the drows all hid in their homes,
And prayed that this devil would leave them alone.

The dwarfs and the duergars laid in their beds
With nightmares of water filling their heads,
While Olyn and Knights all dressed up in white,
Made easy targets for dinner tonight.

When out of the shadow, came such a sight,
It looked like a specter, a ghost, a blight...
The light from the lamps disappeared in a flash,
And the ghosts of the past stood before them as ash.

The mood of the fallen was clear as day,
They came for a price, one that had to be paid,
Their intentions were made and their weapons all drawn
They would feast tonight as wolves on a fawn.

When all of a Sudden, there came such a boom,
When a voice from the sky, called out full of Doom,
As scary as death, did that voice sound
And all of the shadows fell to the ground!

Hail Camo! Hail Ugula!
Hail Ygin and Groq!
Ho Rigwarl! Ho Lothgar!
Ho, Katreina and Kolok!
Put down all your blades!
And go back to the depths!
Nycticora! Its Stryth's day
So away with your pets!"

As quick as they came, they all disappeared,
And the darkness was lifted and replaced with a cheer.
From the sky did come falling, some bright rain and snow,
Illuminating all that it touched with a warm winter glow.

And then in the dazzle, there was a loud scream,
And entrails and armor filled up our bright scene,
I guess poor Nycticora paid the toll for us all,
She stretched out for power and took a big fall.

Then Voice took a body and there Burzuk stood,
With Davairus, and Vanisse, and Ghost covered in wood,
Vevier making cookies, and Tork with his goat,
And the Undead Immortals one of whom had been smote...

Their eyes full of knowledge of power and grace,
Their clothing all shiny, pressed and newly replaced
I saw them all smiling except for the one,
That Resatimm held by one lifeless tongue.

The angel's behind them, together they spoke,
Praising Stryth and his greatness to all of the folk.
They exalted his name as the citizens gathered,
And the thumping young ones little feet pattered.

They stood there in awe at God's before them,
And sang their own song, voicing how they adored him.
Together they came when the time came along,
And the mortals and Gods forged a beautiful song.

When the songs had been sung, and the food had been ate,
The gifts opened and shared and with their children and mates,
The God's all departed leaving one in their wake,
The one who whose voice made everything shake.

Burzuk spoke again and all grew still,
Quaking mirrors and windows right out of their sill,
The nighttime was filled, with his power and might....

Merry Strythmas to all, and to all a good night!

The Pain of Life by Wreitha the Poetic Beastress of Nature
----------------
This is dedicated to Perth, because she's a Geezer.

What are the things that tear you apart?
Is it love, is money, is it something you lost?
Is it time that you spent doing nothing at all?
Or the fact that we all will answer deaths call?

Is it ice, is it fire, is it plague that makes you cower?
Is it beast, or a foe, or a dragon in it a tower?
Is it the want of someone who buckles your knees?
When you find they've been sworn to someone you're beneath.

Is it hate for something that you don't understand?
Or the fear of a God that is greater than man?
Does the sun going down grasp you in fear?
Cause the things in the dark bring you to tear.

All I know, in the end when my time has come,
That I lived my whole life as an honest one,
That I gave those around far more than I took,
And my name is in gold in the Heaven's book.

Spark by Wreitha the Poetic Beastress of Nature
-----

A spark is such a tiny thing,
A flash of light is all it brings,
But where it lands makes all the difference in the world.

Were it to land upon a stone,
That spark would be always alone,
And all the powers it possessed would never be unfurled.

Lest though it land among the trees,
and nestled in the dried up leaves,
The devastation that's brought forth could never be described.

The spark that grows into a fire,
The forest acting like a pyre,
And everything it's touched is turned to ash and then imbibed.

A mad man's thoughts are just the same,
His spark will soon become a flame,
Consuming all that comes within the sweeping of his blade.

He's entered in the Army now,
His first request is that we vow,
And pledge our lives to his Dark Lord embracing life in shade.

The Glory that is Vanisse by Wreitha the Dastardly Dedicated Devout Minion of Vanisse
-------------------------

I've never seen a pair of eyes,
So blue, so deep , so very wise
With grace and charm she melts the night,
She outshines all invoking fright,

In those who came to do her harm,
But not with brawn or weapon drawn,
It's with her glow she shakes the faith,
Of men and beasts and even wraiths.

The sun seeks shade when she's in sight,
And begs to borrow from her light,
She offers up her warm embrace,
And summer comes and fills this place.

She's offers up herself to all,
And picks us up if we should fall.
Vanisse gives all she has to give,
And all she asks is that you live,

A life worth living in her eyes,
The Great Myth Weaver, The Director, The Architect of Treachery, Deception, and Lies.

The Toad to Taleroth by Wreitha the Dastardly Dedicated Devout Minion of Vanisse
--------------------

There is a man his quite soft, the records show he's Taleroth.
Not everyone can make the switch, he used to sing but now a witch.

The Heralds used to be his home, but now he's nothing all alone.
There's never been a smarter guy, except for everyone beneath the sky.

He stinks of beer and stale old mud, he drowns his failures in the suds.
There's no denying that he's bad, a thousand children call him Dad

When something's broken he's to blame, it doesn't matter he has no shame.
When barnyard animals are around, you bet your gold that he's in town.

There's not much left for me to say, he won't comprehend it anyway.
So here's your Toad and a joke, I hope you and the Mystics croak.

Living Silence (Author unknown)
---------------

Beautiful.
Silent.
The knife that strikes unseen in the night.

A sound.
A breath.
Ain't nothing but the wind.

I wait.
I wish.
I expect you to emerge.

The silence is the same in your death
As when you stalked it in life.

You will not appear, but I wait.
I wish.
Breathless.

Barnabas (Author unknown)
--------

Across the horizons and oceans blue,
a path long and treacherous too,
there lurks a tale of vast riches'a gold,
guarded by a beast of old.
With teeth of razors and eyes stricken red,
they say this monstrosity has left many for dead,
that none survived and all did fall,
but who remained to tell the tale after all?

A man named Barnabas, a warrior for truth, born from blood and fire,
skirmished his whole youth and sought but one desire.
To slay the beast defending the treasure,
he traversed the depths and took careful measure...
Upon a lair he came, sounds of growling and gnawing all the same.
He screamed "Come at me beast, for I've found your lair,
come and face me if you dare!"

A sudden clamor cried the cave,
then a screech that sounded quite grave...
The monstrous beast, terrible in size,
rose up to regard this new surprise.

The fight came and steel did clash,
the beast would strike and Barnabas with his might did bash...
In the end the warrior bested the beast,
took all the gold and went back home to feast.
He told his fellows there was no gold...
But that's why it's called Barnabas' treasure, of old.

Sprite by Rimera Galanodel, the Alabaster Matriarch of Heralds
------

The lonely sprite in the forest, she cries.
The love once in her heart slowly dies.
Her heart once full of life and light.
Torn asunder by demons and night.

She wages a war within her mind.
Loss of faith and virtue leaves her blind.
But her heart ease it will find.
Not known now by those of her kind.

Soon ease will come to her soul.
All is needed is her from her hole.
She is too wonderful to live like a mole.
Once again she will switch her role.

Her light will shine again once more.
She will make it through the open door.
She will shed this mask that she has wore.
To soon settle the final score.

unspoken by Vanisse the Myth Weaver
--------

there are things better left unsaid
that unspoken we agreed to let lie

(but i never knew till now the truths
of relentless rushing tides
within head and tightened chest,
temptations of recklessness and folly
nor till now did i recognize the echoes
of eons of partner dance
during tales i loved to disdain.

thus in one fell swoop i am nothing:
a drop clinging to the tip of a leaf
over the abyss of the earth.
with one breath two sister universes must part,
bearing the bursting burden of two coin-flips,
one searing inward with the rush of attraction,
one shivering to empty stillness

and i, toeing the event horizon,
shadow stretching forward into a ring around time,
doomed to watch the tar drop lengthen
by its irresistible forward flow.)

Fallen by Wreitha the Poetic Beastress of Nature
------

So this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an
unmovable object

The stars make way as to not detract from the importance of the night.

The ground stands still as if to ensure not to trip up the competitors mid
fight.

The birds cease their songs, and the tides all stay calm, in preparation
for this sight.

It's not every day that that the landscape shifts but today is a day when
we turn off the lights

Legion stands ready, and Justice prepared, the Heralds are shaking the
Knights are not scared.

Like flashes of lighting they light up the sky, the hacking and slashing
and no souls spared tonight.

The conflict eternal shall never be solved, but each generation fights on,
till their gone.

Another cold body, to throw on the flame, another dead child for a
mother's pain.

The end of this war, will never be found. The light will stay lit, and the
origin of darkness will never be drowned.

Take up your swords, and answer the call. I'll speak at your deaths and
remember you all.

So this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an
unmovable object

Alas by Cyprian
----

One claimed to see goodness, but saw only evil.
One claimed to desire peace, but shed only blood.
One claimed to wish solitude, but spurred only pursuit.

One preyed upon the goodness of others and was shown mercy.
Each time the heart of a man broke for one's lies, one's shadow grew darker.
Each time the soul of a man cried for one's lies, one's ego grew larger.
Each time the body of a man bled for one's lies, one's light grew dimmer.

The charade might have continued further, the wounds ever deeper.
Alas, one faltered! Too easily the lies unraveled.
The catalyst: the Lady of Air.
Tempted by the promises of Chaos, the bowstring snapped.
The illusion faded.
Treachery was laid bare.
One might have stopped there, but again one erred.
The final coffin-nail, one's misstep showed no care
For the home one claimed to cherish.

One might have become something different, something brighter.
One might have inspired hope and change for the better.
One might have done many things never before seen...

But alas, the gold was merely pyrite after all.

The Thrill by Rethiel
----------

A brush of shadows, the lightened purse.
Fingertip touches lighter than air.
A locked door, an uttered curse.
Gone before you think to look.

At home in darkness, one with the crowd.
Daggers sharpened and near at hand.
Time passes, mistakes disallowed,
The moment approaches, just as planned.

A push, a nudge, pardon sir.
What was yours is mine, gone in a blur.
Adrenaline fades as I bask in my prize,
A token stolen from under your eyes.

Hymn of the Faerie Dragon (Pt I) by Blyx Foulwing
--------------------------------

Oh glorious, oh magnificent,
Creation of dreams and imagination.
How splendid your brilliance,
Winged twilight of devastation.

Overjoyous, the nightmarish,
Relation of screams and domination.
Vow skeleton your allegiance,
Wicked fortress of Dark Acadia.

Mysterious, meritorious,
Faerie dragon your legend.
From the stars, and from the shores,
Of the lands they call Serin.

Oh magnificent, oh glorious.

Hymn of the Faerie Dragon (Pt II) by Blyx Foulwing
---------------------------------

Oh wonderous, victorious,
Incarnation, prismatic colors.
Now candid your existence,
Tinged skylight of the forest.

The happiness, vicarious,
Of those who adore it.
Soothsayer of enchanted Losla.
Faerie Dragon your vibrance.

Wild magic that bodes it,
In a vast forest of the fey.
While music and fickle laughter,
Hint of the Faerie Dragon's way.

Oh glorious, oh maginificent.

Rite of Tranquility
------------------

We stand emotionless,
Over a field of bloody death.
The screams we only hear,
As we are sleeping again.

We stand motionless,
In the macabre of splattered rain.
Voices we forever hear,

In sadness we lumber,
Just before the wooden oak door.

We stand motionless,
In a parade of falling shade.
The moist, and damp dark fear.
As we are dreaming again.

We stand emotionless,
Before a door we cannot open.
Your voice you must now blare.
As you are lulling yet again.

In sadness we lumber,
Just before the wooden oak door.
When you think you have the answer,
Unlock it and step out of the moor.

Cerberus
--------

Our heads shout different directions, each tugging a toe:
I stand at our junction motionless, quivering.
Do not wait, we all scream, there is no time!
And yet we move in no direction but time,
helplessly.

These eyes see less than the child we deemed naive.
Once I would have paid attention.
I was so sure I would keep paying it,
strewing my carefree consciousness to the spins
of leaves and the ripples
of raindrops and the scents of stale air and chemicals,
to the sequential not reciprocal glances,
to the accidents that secretly spelt smiles.

But it's true, I've overspent.
Too many springs, too many storms,
too often that endless passage of whirring and clicking and wafting
of alcohol and ether,
none of it spells magic anymore.
None of it stirs me.

So I ask,
towards what do we strive?
I glance back, imagine the light
from the mirrors of our faces still bouncing about in the dark.
I miss who we once were, so ferociously:
all that stupidity we survived! If only it had been to a good end.
What awaits us?
Was this the right dream?

Sweetly
-------

Smoke on the lips,
Slick fingertips
Tapping that tune in threes

Lidded eyes gaze
Through the late night haze
Listening to the clarinet tease

While the walking heart made of string and man
Grins wood-wrapped lazy charm

The snare trickles sound
Tickles sound
Trickles sound
To the silence: ...

So maybe this question isn't new
About love's misdirection,
Of loneliness-filling,
Of waking, of willing,
Of restlessness stilling
Under each street lamp down Travellers Way,
Stepping fresh copies of prints left behind

By the raging, the lost, the worst and best kinds
Of confused, brilliant, mysterious minds

If I Live To Be
---------------

Accidentally, our intentions align:
Sound and its sentiments intermingle,
wind-swept, across the chasms of our thoughts.

Did you, too, smile upon the highest note held
and hum harmonies beneath the meaning of it all,
melding self to some other freer spirit,
imagining a world of different imperfections?

Laden with longings,
we dream our tentative dreams.
Such a brief respite
before dawn's clearing.

Such invisible parallels,
such an exquisite web is this! To think
its creator knows only a crumb of the happiness enabled
by a few words, fingers, strings.

(The author(s) of these poems is not known. -II)

Live and Let Luck by Cyprian
-----------------

Rocking a chair, some sit.
Or walking a road, stop at a pit.
Content without destination,
Stand and jump both meet procrastination.

Isn't that too black-and-white?
Still the sun, where were the night?
Affix the moon, where's the daylight?
Agreed. Both ride Time's constant flight.

In a world where Time had ears,
Stopping for the weary, rewinding regret,
There'd be no incentive to live.
No reason to accrue, much less protect.

Now flip the coin side in question.
Plant before a mirror, stare the reflection.
Idle the years, you'll learn a lesson.
Your existence inches more obsolescent.

Life itself is not the question,
To indulge some philosophic session.
It's whether you have dreams abreast,
Or see little more than life and death.

Every dream is a rung on a rising tower.
Resting mid-clamber, you still exert power.
Gripping enough to stay in place,
You don't let go, lest you split your face.

Tell me then, who can really coast flat?
While Time forces them this-way-or-that.
Still, absent Luck, Time's a meager measure.
No instant of pain, neither for pleasure.

Here's the descent: eyes glossing emptily.
Reflecting a vacuum, you become vanity.
Saddling another, you live vicariously.
Absent your -own- Luck, Life becomes apathy.

For a Sylph by Cyprian
-----------

Stomach twisting for what's pure and good,
I see the dark. Some brazen, some under hoods.
Its wisdom breeds misery. Ignorance-of, its bliss.
Passing by, I draw to cries from a distance.

Variably calm, not far the secluded dell.
Beyond signpost, where furtive nymphs fare well.
At the crossing of fae, feel a gradual menace.
An evil yet so near within Emerald Forest.

Through mist strong enough to block vision,
Dubiety's knocks echo at every decision.
The longer I stare in vain beyond the hedge,
Cries I hear convey their hope at its very edge.

Either side I see trees warped beyond sanity.
Nearby, two vulgar gremlins grinning at me.
In haunting reverb from surrouding darkness,
The hiss taunts me to kiss evil's own lips.

One pace north, frantic pleading amplifies.
Another pace west, abomination meets the eye.
A crude altar, clearly left to its own ruin.
Monumental abcess. "Macabre" doesn't even begin.

So it is they take good, twist it to whatever.
Just like evil, bereft of original & clever.
Violating, ever-reinventing the wheel of malice.
A ravaged sylph on an altar is one evidence.

Aghast I knelt beside her, fiddled the shackles.
Kept ear for the nearing of ambient cackles.
She pined for release, and it grieved my soul.
Nothing. No rattle. Not so much a keyhole.

Not an idea in my head could grant her wish.
Cleansing the room didn't budge curse an inch.
Try as I did, summons failed time and again.
I returned to the sylph to be her last friend...

Left with little beside hoping her an abrupt end.

This isn't mockery, as a fool on stilts.
As I ink this now, yet she agonizes, still.
Falling short, I know: anything I try to will.
Save genuine words inked for a suffering sylph.

Heart Within by Cyprian
------------

Foot against Serin, dusting its tile,
Experiences perch all the while.
Face-forward, you march for miles.

Awake to the morning, see the sky.
What exactly reflects off your eye?
Does it provide you reason to breathe?
What dreams lie under your sleeve?

A woman to share a life with?
A working man to father your kids?
A rainbow's end, where gold resides?
Rest after honest life, that none may lie?

Read Luck's compass, shade her sundial.
Interpret them or drown in Time's reprisals.
Remain ignorant of Her gracious signs.
Fail to read between Her generous lines.

I undergird your voice with meaning.
I provide rhythm to your every feeling.
Betray me and I split in twain.
Betray yourself, I still bear the blame.

Unbridle me, I'll send you trouble.
Train me and you'll earn double.
I work whether you rage or laugh.
My only rest is in your epitaph.

Defer to your mind, trust me to an end.
Speak to me, I know your goings out-and-in.
I even harbor the gravest of your sin.
Discover me at the foot of every whim.

I'm your heart within.

Ode to a Toad by Cyprian
-------------

Memory recalls I've a tail to the skull.
Weren't it for a gnome, it'd be null.
A tadpole? Thought I used to be a man?
Now aspirations suddenly sink to lilypads!?

Minding my own business, I swim to algae.
Thanks Brumblwitz, my dishes are slimy.
Before I can graze, I look to the rear.
The beak of a bird just scraped my ear!

Oh cruel world, what a farce! What a lot.
I'm just trying to eat! Another Vikka plot?
Once held a staff. Soon wartier than frogs!
What other misery awaits when I hop logs?

Still alive, I'm at the mercy of beetles!
This is Luck only dead men would steal..
Spare me, I know it beats dying on the wheel.
I'll find Vanisse, ask this curse be repealed!

Nine weeks of horror, now nearing twelve.
The fish! The birds! Details I won't delve..
I'm ready to leave water as legs thicken.
Avoiding plates whereon they're like chicken!

Life in the dark, what would vampires know?
I have it worse! I avoid even the moon's glow!
I hide under leaves, my shelter are rocks..
My cutaneous secretions are worse than socks!

Timaran, finally. Oh, an Ivory Tower!
I'll hop over there, seek Vanisse's power.
Entering with angst, I see Her first.
Then I hear Varliv. Heart may as well burst.

I see them laugh, the butt of every joke.
I try to plead but all I can do is croak..
What have I done for this?? Woe to life, alas!
Varliv has a fork. Make "Ribbit" my epitaph.

Vikka enters giggling, Brumblwitz brought stew.
This toad blinks back tears, they're "funny" too.
Hopping madly, I panic. Vanisse plows into me!
I awoke in a cold sweat, what's it mean?

I move a limb and see a hand. Horrible dream...

NO! IT WASN'T!
VARLIV GRINS RIGHT NEXT TO ME!

SQUEEEEEEE!

Alas by Cyprian
----

One claimed to see goodness, but saw only evil.
One claimed to desire peace, but shed only blood.
One claimed to wish solitude, but spurred only pursuit.

One preyed upon the goodness of others and was shown mercy.
Each time the heart of a man broke for one's lies, one's shadow grew darker.
Each time the soul of a man cried for one's lies, one's ego grew larger.
Each time the body of a man bled for one's lies, one's light grew dimmer.

The charade might have continued further, the wounds ever deeper.
Alas, one faltered! Too easily the lies unraveled.
The catalyst: the Lady of Air.
Tempted by the promises of Chaos, the bowstring snapped.
The illusion faded.
Treachery was laid bare.
One might have stopped there, but again one erred.
The final coffin-nail, one's misstep showed no care
For the home one claimed to cherish.

One might have become something different, something brighter.
One might have inspired hope and change for the better.
One might have done many things never before seen...

But alas, the gold was merely pyrite after all.

Writer's Mote by Cyprian
-------------

The quill is in hand,
Just post-Mystique.
How much time have I,
A few months? A week?

Sitting by myself,
I stare a bookshelf.
Nothing comes to mind.
Write on a drow elf?

Absurd. No such thing.
As though stature shrinks,
Walls rise when I think.
Viable as a quasit tree.

Earnest I squint the eye.
Extant ideas they'll belie.
When at once I hit the mark,
And jot about avian sharks.

Futile & no matter I force,
Spur spares the idle horse.
I gaze up an eternal tower,
Brilliant: "slith flowers."

Irritating. Total genius.
Bored pixies couldn't save this.
Now behold this jubilee without order:
How I just butchered this entry's borders.

The more I think,
The more I don't.
The less I stir,
The more I'm sure:

That otiose chokes my throat.
I've come a'sea without boat.
Empty a jar, barren a note.
Upon me is Writer's Mote.

Sting by Cyprian
-----

How long until this thing,
An all too familiar sting,
Stops redefining loss to me?
Not once. Twice. Now Three.

The words of logic silent,
Emotion grows as defiant.
Was there ever a surety?
They which were once nearby-
Now so far and away from me.

Are ties ever safe to plant?
The price high, watering- scant.
Grown beside, roots intertwine.
Risk shares 'twixt yours & mine.

Time swings its stoic paddle.
Memory jeers and swats withal.
Bring them Chance & make the call.
Fate, detail where scores fall.

I wring the tired sliver of hope,
A worn cloth once steeped below.
A cruel twist collects the drip.
In my face, another irony spits.

Travelling afar, you hold treasure.
Warily gripped, foot meets fissure.
By an ally's missing hands you fall.
Shards scatter & realization scalds.

Under the blaze, flesh splits black.
Languished bursts aglow the cracks.
Neither blister nor melt, you burn.
Instead you harden as you learn:

Loss is the four-letter word.
The dearth felt & forever heard.
Stitch my fingers back in place.
Affixed on things that disappear,

These digits are again severed by the Reaper.

A Wise Little Finger by Cyprian
--------------------

"What do you seek?," said She.
My focus went sharp explicitly.
Asked in contexts not much to do,
Segwaying little & out-of-the-blue.

An attempt to stop aimless words?
Eyes stuck to the oceanic horizon,
I froze & thoughts fell toward Her.
My soul once again began to stir.

As on command, my mind turned inward.
Time felt stopped, going no further.
Unexpected, space reduced to a dot.
Sounds became quieter than thought.

Memories sped up, echoing the Past.
Preconceptions fled me just as fast.
A force began compiling the exigent,
Draining all trivial in an instant.

Imagine a wide room becoming a tunnel.
Most colors whirl & start to funnel.
Chills crept me, a loud crack sublime:
Its reverb seized on a pulse of mine.

Surrounding light slowly went dimmer,
Against that turquoise-azure shimmer.
My soul bare, her silhouette sharper,
everything around blurred behind her.

Before I even understood the notion,
My answer flowed just like that ocean.
How simple the words ended up to be,
All I knew had still preempted me.

No reaction, not so much a blink.
Afterward shoulders felt no release,
As though nothing's hid from Vanisse.
Forge out the folds of a molten blade,
later she'd every single crease.

My words struck true their own accord,
But incomplete as half-empty drawers.
Was that the point?
Do I attempt to haste potential?
Is that why she asked?
Was that her wisdom?
To count and show my current sum?
To settle, await & see what I'll become?

Silently teaching a man most voluble,
She gently unraveled this tongue's spool,
Tossed his thought cap & kicked his stool.
The drawer doesn't have to be full.

Revealing the simple in the complex,
She painted Present & omitted the rest.
Vanisse shows more truth in sneezes,
than I ever could in my most earnest.

Leave it to the One sagacious and perky:
To stump the loquacious
with only her pinky.

Willful Degeneration by Cyprian
--------------------

Faith. A word; one syllable.
The evidence of things unseen.
Giving glory to the complex,
It's an act most simple.

We start young as panthiests,
Then grow and define ourselves.
One's seed planted by parents.
Others' planted by their own fist.

From there the vision clears.
You cross brambles without shears.
Belief ignites purpose in your years,
By a deity felt never more dear.

Emblazoning the zeal on heart,
Espousing principles they chart,
Your life and Their sake:
They're now sewn, never torn apart.

So how now, this void in Serin...
Pools of belief wane smaller.
A gulf from man to divine: longer.
The average mortal life: shorter.

Mortality holds the reigns here.
If you feel left dusty on a shelf,
It's a curse you bring on yourself.
When you drop sheath and grasp hilt,
Slaying yourself as misfortune's felt.

Unnamed Flame by Cyprian
-------------

It was in a Mine, I bonked her there.
Her horn nearly stabbed my fist in-air.
She missed an allegory. Words. Ink.
Soon fainted for pancakes, unable to think.

Her warcry for the stacked flour crashes,
Dragging herself hungrily to molasses.
Very cute, the life in this woman.
First stricken by her eyebrows and lashes.

Flaming an exotic red, both the pair.
Hanging silkily, so did her kindling hair.
Nigh over, my heart fell soon as she ate.
What unabashed way of cleaning her plate.

So I consolidate both duty and pleasantry,
Only time I'd ever done that for any.
Reading a scroll written me from Vanisse,
I notice scales upon her, without crease.

I couldn't understand. This rare gem?
Worthy of no rose, only a thorned stem?
While I saw beauty, others cite monstrosity?
I wondered why she'd say such a thing.

From her onyx horn to her clawed toe,
Against this, no woman has much to show.
Framed as a glass blower's finest timepiece,
Crimson eyes. Sparkles no jeweller can fleece.

She was hardly elegant, not at all refined.
Blindly devoted to fire, hopeless to juice.
Loathes vegetables, for water she has no use.
Untempered impulses leave little to choose.

A bar stool and one sofa following,
I seated myself on both with her, pondering.
The pleasant contrast of claw and scale.
One black, the other whiter than hail.

In the western common room, telling stories,
Staring beer steins, my chest pelted softly.
Smothering all my impulses quietly,
I settled for sitting with her contentedly.

Line them up, every woman that I've seen.
I'd trade all hours or days with them,
For but one moment with the flame on wings...
No matter how fleeting.

Curse of the Bunny Drow by Cyprian
-----------------------

In a land not far away,
A drow was love-struck by an elf.
He sought her hand before long.
Her name became his heart's song.

He slinked quietly in nearby wood,
Where with bow-and-arrow she stood.
Practicing her aim at dummy targets,
Aspiring to surpass castle turrets?

Casting arrows unaware he existed,
One struck the drow's knee,
Stuck fast, it never exited.
The drow quietly bit his lip.

Alas, the elf knew she hit something.
She crept forth, stretching bow string.
She stomped away a concealing bush.
Surprised, she saw not a thing.

Her heart jumped, then she turned.
Bunnies can fly, she learned.
Really, as it hit her face: Is it so?
Nay. The result of a drow's throw.

It's claws were out, scratched her face.
Then it bounced away in a panic-pace.
Scar-deep the wounds were made.
Pointing to him, put the drow'd stay.

Hapless on-rump, he glared up at her.
Soon he'd know the elf ruled nature.
Fly potions, one thousand sixty-three.
This she gave, then shot his other knee.

Too proud to cry, the drow winced greatly,
Glaring up at her, this goddess so stately.
"Behold, I strip power of thee," said she.
Only all day shalt thou call bunnies.

Not very good news for the drow ranger.
Forests now foreign & left with 'littler.'
"Your curse's hard, who can I report to?"
"Not my problem, reversing it's on you."

Legs crippled, staring at the ground,
He knew a means to move had to be found.
"Forever shall thy legs fail thee,"
"Till thou find a better face for me..."

Furious, with either fist clenching,
He vowed from this curse he'd be free.
Damn the lesson not to stalk elven ladies.
Whether goddess, or only honing archery...

Power Lust or Prudent Study by Cyprian
---------------------------

Stretching for the sun,
Like a flower in bloom,
The mind starts opening,
Grown and fed of something.

Rabid as a shark at blood,
Thoughts swim in that flood.
Creases in a mental box, 4x4.
To a light peeking through,
Reach & make a mystery yours.

Will it keep or destroy?
Open paths or erect walls?
Grant wisdom more than had?
Knowledge to drive one mad?

Or is it the pursuit thereof?
Unreachable when push-is-shove.
That moment the hand fits glove,
Doing slowly morphs to waiting.
Efforts now a'mercy from above?

Shake someday the snow globe.
The figures think they move.
Feeling rattles, seeing white,
So I write this tonight.

So unlimited in my dreams,
Yet boundaries won't burst their seams.
Evoke speculation as I might:
That I know anything on my own...
That idea is false and trite....

Sands of Mine by Cyprian
-------------

Ticking, ticking, ticking...
Away does this life go living.
Forward does Time go hurdling.
A notion so light and fleeting.

No matter how hard I think,
How contemplative lips sink,
Nor how many times I blink,
In my ears the dead still sing.

Come to me my love unnamed.
Thou woman happily untamed.
What promises do you desire?
That my heart may light yours a'fire?

Slipping yours ever out of mine,
A ring in my hand yet shines.
Nothing true enough for her finger,
Still I hear her ticking, ticking..
Hasting away, yet she does linger.

Funny, her dowry..even ironic.
Ne'er settling down, no not once.
Until at end of something chronic.
The only moment I meet her breath,
It'll be the Time of my death.

For here only does she stop for any.
Committing to none, courting many.
Time, thou mistress so reliable..
Make your power in my hand viable....

Must my death be your price?
Controlling you without expiration..
Wouldn't that be.......

Death's Usury by Cyprian
-------------

All life is a sea.
Its salt has uses three:
To season with happiness.
To preserve with love.
To corrode with loss.

How do I tell up from down?
This deep inside it...
Chloride preserving my frown.
Loss everytime I turn around.

Reflections under the surface,
They tell the lines so crisp.
A few different ways to age:
Idling, living and losing.

The former never notices.
The middle is too busy to see.
The latter sees it clearly.
What costs once to some,
It's charged thrice to me.

Is this how the Heavens feel?
As Death unwinds Life's reel?
Locked ever in its cold usury...
Rewind -that- for eternity....

Collected Poetry from the Serin Mystique