The Stage

Scripted lines, destined scenes
One actor plays off another
Acting with false words and gestures
Staged conversations and fake emotions
The scene's played out
The enemy takes the hero, the heroin cries
Neither has said goodbye

Read between the lines
Listen through the lies

Heroine readies for war
Hope pulses through her veins
The sun rises with the dawn of battle
Hand to hand, enemy and heroin
Love is victorious, love conquers all
The helmet falls, a truth revealed
Face to face, hero and heroin
The heroin's shield is broken
Her sword is dull
The cry of battle still rings in her ears
Blood covers her hands
Crimson floods the field
An army of friends has fallen
Worn and tired
Beaten and broken
She's felt the pride of victory
Now the humility of defeat
She falls before the hero

He raises his sword in certain victory
Hero and enemy, all the same
The heroin reaches for her dagger
Each has said their lines
Acted their parts
Her part has ended,
Exit stage left
The hero's sword gleams in the fading light
Clean, unstained
A lone red dagger lies before him
Love is victorious, love conquers all
The sun sets as darkness rises

Read between the lines,
Listen through the lies

Act II begins.

The Sea

Floating along, doing just fine. Sun on the face, clouds above and sea below. Then the waters get a tougher, a little rougher. Start moving around a little to keep afloat, still not too much effort. Pretty soon it's all you can do to keep from drowning. Struggling just to survive, fighting to stay alive. Look back and remember just floating along. A raft drifts by, grab it in desperation, intoxication with the thought of safety. Climb aboard and the sea calms. Floating again, the boat that keeps you afloat. And all seems good. Then a hole appears, water comes in. The wind dies, going nowhere. Trying to keep the boat going and trying to survive. Splinters get under the skin, the boat creaks and cracks, the sea attacks. So many problems just to stay afloat. Maybe it's better to abandon ship and swim for shore. Can't keep the boat afloat anymore. Sink the boat that keeps you afloat, abandon to the water or fight for both? How can you sink the one thing keeping you up? But you know there's something better if only you'd let go. You see another raft in the distance. Or is it really there? Decide.

laundry day

Going through the closet and finding a old shirt that you haven't worn for a while. Looking closer it looks like a good shirt to wear, just needs a wash. Laundry day again. A big pile just sits there waiting, things that haven't been worn for some time. Take the pile put it in the wash and add your favorite detergent. The liquid goes slowly down the detergent compartment to clean all the old dirt away and make it new. Time passes, not too much but enough to make it good again. THe buzzer goes off warning that it's time to move everything over. Take it all out and put it in the dryer, add a dryer sheet so the clothes are light and fluffy and comfortable. Giving them that soft worn feel against the skin, reasurring and fimilar. The clothes tumble around, genlty, warm air surrounding them. More time passes, again not long just enough till the dryer dings announcing everything is ready. Open the door and pull out the fresh clean and refined clothing. Put on the shirt and feel the fimilar comfortable feel against your skin. This shirt has been here before, through teh cycle; it has helped through tough times and good times. Wear the shirt around for a while. Slowly the clean starts to fade, dirt and grime work its way in. The fresh smell disapates, it gets old. The soft feel of the fabric turns rough and rubs agains skin. Too much time has passed, time to take off the shirt. It gets folded and put away to be used at a later time possibly, or it's just done with and time for a new shirt. And eventually the process starts all over again. Laundry day.

eternal sunshine

The sun shines on you, beating softly . Its warmth works through your skin down to your soul. The sun is wonderful, it gives light so you can see the wonderful things around you. The light shows the truth and gives beauty. Days straight out of fairy tales come around, days you wish could never end. Don't stare into the sun though, it will blind you. From far away it is good but don't get to close or you'll get burned. Enjoy, but from a distance. Without some protection you will burn. The sun changes you, slightly.

And then a cloud comes. And the cloud partially blocks the sun, casting shadows, making it harder to see. The cool of the shade slides across your skin. You trip on a root that was now hidden in the dark. But the cloud passes and the sun comes out again, and all seems right and good. Another cloud comes, and another, and another, following each other getting more frequent. It is a difficult time. Will the sun stay or go? Confused, hurt, lost. You have no control.

Finally it happens. The sun is gone. It is dark, it is cold. Everything is hidden. You can only remember what used to be there and stumble on your own in a lonely place. How can you go on? Was it better to have had the sun while you did? Are you better off having enjoyed what you could when you could? Or maybe you should have stayed in the dark the hold time. The dark offers protection. Was it really better to have had for a short time and have to go back or to never have had at all? You saw amazing things, you did amazing things. But now you can only remember them. It seems the sun is too dangerous. I will walk by moonlight. I may not see as much but I know I can hide in the shadows when the light is too much.

a midsummer night

Close your eyes and escape, imagine. A warm early September evening. The sun has just set leaving the stars to twinkle next to a mostly full moon. A breeze rolls through, cool but not cold. The green grass ripples like little waves in the ocean. A white tent is on the edge of a grove of trees, dividing them from the open pasture. It sticks out like a beacon being the only source of light for miles. Lights twinkle like fairies hanging down from the trees. The soft light shows round white tables spread around with rich purple flowers in the center surrounded by candles. Gold plates and silverware glitter on top of plum cloth napkins. Eight gold spindle chairs surround each table, sinking slightly into the soft earth beneath it. Going inside the nearby tent the senses are overwhelmed with the smell of food. Mashed potatoes, fried chicken, casseroles, green beans, and biscuits laden down several tables. Purple and gold flowers and ribbons adorn the tables adding elegance to the country feel. A table off to the side holds large pitchers of sweet tea and pecan pie, peach pie and a cake. The cake is three tiers covered in white fondant with plum purple sugar flowers covering it. The flowers look almost real with golden steams and golden centers. A wooden dance floor lays in the middle of the tent with a string quartet behind, playing softly. Just outside of the tent fireflys fly around shimmering like magic. Barefoot children yell cries of joy as they try to catch these elusive bugs. A carriage waits off to the side with horses stamping their hoofs tired of standing still, waiting to whisk the new happy couple off to a world of dreams and new beginnings.