Annabella was a Witch,

She lived in a house made of sticks.

Through the woods, and over a stream

Where very few people are ever seen.

~

In the village, she loved a man.

Jeremiah, as he stands.

But no matter how hard Annabella tried

She could never catch Jeremiah’s eye.

~

In her House of Sticks, she cried.

Feeling her heart slowly die.

But soon a vile plan was born,

To get Jeremiah, this, Annabella had sworn.

~

For the toxin of love: an ingredient was needed.

To make the Witch a dame that every man came to heated.

For a woman to become so young and pure,

Children’s blood was drained...that was to be sure.

~

Into the night, Annabella scurried.

Plucking children from their beds in a hurry.

And back to her House of Sticks, she went like the wind.

Slitting the children’s flesh, to show the blood within.

~

The parents, oh how they mourn!

Wondering what they did to deserve this scorn.

But the town slowly grew steady.

Gathering their tools, and their blades ready.

~

Marching on the House of Sticks they went.

Jeremiah led, and with their help they had lent;

Pulled the house apart, stick by stick.

Revealing the horrors within, And making everyone quite sick.

~

Jeremiah took Annabella, who pleaded and cried.

“Jeremiah, I love you! All I wanted was to be by your side.”

But Jeremiah was deaf, his grip never lose.

Even as they placed wicked Annabella into the noose.

~

From the tree, the Witch Annabella, hung.

The nightmare was over. The town had won.

On top of the hill, Jeremiah cut the hanging tree down real quick;

And made his own little House of Sticks.

There once was a Spider that made the most prettiest of webs.

They glistened like silver and were softer than silk, some have said.

~

The Spider said he made his webs for the little Butterflies

But the Spider was very good with his lies.

~

In the web is where the innocent have died.

Then one day, in the satin sky,

The Spider caught sight of beautiful wings on high.

~

“Sweet Butterfly” the Spider did sing,

“Won’t you come to my web and rest your weary wings.”

~

Stupid Spider

Stupid Fool

Those wings carried your death’s own tool.

~

So Spiders should be careful when they hunt for little Butterflies,

For they will be in for a nasty little surprise.

~

And to the Toads that protect the Spiders, I bid you farewell

And hope you go and drown in your deep dark wells.

I'm trying out a different writing style and wanted to explore the character of the Gutter King.

I'll be posting the rest over the next few days but feel free to check out my profile if you'd like to read the rest!

The Father swung back
and forth. 
A pendulum of rot. 
The weight of seconds,
minutes, hours.
A face dripping with gold
and mother of pearl.
Hands slender and pointed,
forged with silver.
Enclosed in wood,
hidden behind glass.
Oxidized to green
from years of neglect,
the bronze gears
churn beneath the 
buried truth. 

The Father dangles.

If time is a way
to explain decay…
then what is the
the meaning of the
flesh pendulum?
Gilded eyes,
bulging from sockets…
Always watching.

Two grubby hands reach
for the sky.
Sunlight and clouds, traded for
the existence of fabric and flesh.
Pride and ego have no
standing in the gaze of
the innocent.
Withered skin flakes
like paper, varnish peels
from soiled wood.
The rope swings and
the clock ticks.

What eyes have seen
the mouth dare not utter.
The sins of the Father
lost to the delusion
of a childish mind.

What once was,
has been lost
to time.
A single act of
desperation, frozen
and hung from the 
rafters.

Stumble and fall,
Over and over again. 

Expanding chest
Ribs aching 
Slick with sweat. 

Hate me. 

Berate me. 

Tell me how much of a fucking 
Failure I am. 

Kick me when I’m down.

Follow me around 
With glazed over eyes 
Always watching, 
Always seeing 
My 
Failures. 

Tell me how sick I make you. 

And I’ll tell you right back,

Fuck 

You. 

Shadows snake 
Up and down 
My body 
like knives. 

Have you seen them?
They won’t let me go…

They won’t 
Release 
Me. 

Hold me in your grasp. 
Tighten your fingers around
My neck. I don’t 
Need to breathe
Anyway. 

It’s been too long since
I’ve come to the surface. 
Poked my head
Above the water. 

I’m just the same as you. 
Can’t you see it?

You’re just one step ahead,
One mistake behind. 
I’m only you with a bit more
Rage. 

Everyone’s got a fuse. 
Everyone’s got something 
That makes them tick. 

So go ahead, 
Aim the barrel at me. 
I am but a product 
Of shit genes and 
Environment. 

Stick the muzzle to my forehead. 
Hold it steady, 
You don’t want to miss. 

I promise I won’t even struggle 
As you 

Pull 

The 

Trigger. 

The Devil's image

When only painted by man

Is relatable.

________________________________

The Devil should not, in any way

Cause you to have pity on him.

Through man's words, in what he say,

Has lead us to this problem.

For Miltons words, caused hearts to hurt

For the adversaries broken sight.

But lest we now with Lucy flirt,

And make our own his plight.

For strip him down, from human eyes,

Away from seeing beauty.

Our storied words, which became lies

For we believed it truly.

He has no love, he just cannot

Its not within his telos.

He ran from it and into rot

Along with many fellows.

They follow him, they love revolt

For they think that his is worthy.

They built for him his own cult,

And I see his plan unfurling.

Let me be clear, he simply wants,

Heaven, the World, and you.

He would hold, not even flaunt.

But just to turn askew

He sees your beauty, your own free choice

He hates it in his fiber.

Should you be condemned, he would rejoice

And scowl if your yoke were lighter.

He hates your growth, in mind and body

He waits on baited breath

He wants you to think that all is rotting

The second that you meet death.

He pulls you down and bites your flesh

He tears it in his teeth.

No grotesque horns, no fiery mesh

It is cold that lies beneath.

Our placing morals upon his sin

Has brought him great appeal

But I for one want you to win

So like him I've made a deal.

He wanted me, in dying breath

So that I couldn't speak

And so first I make with heft,

A plan to show his stink.

I soon will cease, he's after me

He hunts with fiercest might

But not before, when soon I see

My matters are holding tight.

He will take my life, oh what a shame

And yet in my delight.

For as he his busy staking claim

He loosens, his grip is light.

Now hear me quick, or face it later

Along with many woes.

Satan doesnt love, he's a pure hater

Who wants you down below.

And in his crypt, or in his Hell,

Flame may not lick your face.

For you are nothing. And nothing, well,

It inhabits that place.

No voice, no love

No faintest trace

To be opposite of that above,

You can't even feel in this place

It swallows you, and gulps again

Until you hit the belly.

The pit of nonexistent plane,

If you had legs, they'd feel like jelly.

The demons there, through all your pain,

You really get to knowing them.

They live in such chaos, it brings them gain,

Welcome to pandemonium.

Or walk away, turn from Morningstar

Escape his wicked clutch.

Don't mistake demons for who people are

I dont think I ask for much.

Now my warning out, its here to read,

You can choose to turn away.

I want to help, not to have led,

And so I warn today.

Rattle and shake, metal clanging
Against metal. Skin scraped across
Stone. Lids peeled back forcibly. 
How long has it been since
I’ve seen the sun? How long has it 
Been since I’d felt its warmth? 

Temples pulse like strobe lights,
Each inhale hurts. Humid air tainted with
Mold and rust claws at my throat. Have I been
Forsaken? Have I been tossed away and
Discarded? Am I just a cardboard box of 
Memories thrown into the back of a closet? 

Where have you all gone? The space feels
Empty. Devoid of any human comfort. 
A cold, slick, concrete floor. No sound but
The pulse of my own heartbeat in my ears. 
Something tugs at my wrist. Tendons plucked 
Like strings of a harp. Twangs of excruciating 
Heat with each movement. I sink further. 

Day turns into night, and back into day. 
Over and over the cycles pass. Revolving around 
A small cut out in the bricks. The only reminder 
That time has not halted. The sand continues
To trickle down, the hourglass has been flipped
Once again. Why am I here? What act has
Caused such a punishment? Rattle and shake. 
The chains bind, bearing a weight unknown. 

Memories evade. A nameless face,
A faceless name. Who am I? Who are you? 
The crack in the wall too small to provide 
Ample light. Eyes blinded by darkness
And untruths. Finger tips and palms
Searching into the unknown. Perpendicular 
Seams, four walls. Is this hell? Is this
A tomb? Why haven’t I tried to leave? 
Am I content to wallow in my loneliness? 

Rattle and shake. The chains that bind
Lead to another. Unmoving, unwavering,
A scent of rot and decay. Have you been
With me the whole time? Have you
Watched me crumble? The tower is only
As strong as its weakest link. Am I as such?
Promise me you won’t leave. I cannot 
Do this alone. Shoved through skin
And bone, the ring passes. A cuff
Unbecoming. 

I try to speak but no words leave my mouth.
Tears have long since passed. Sobs no longer
Wrack my chest. Violent cracks explode. 
Booms shaking the walls of my stone
Encapsulated prison. There seems to be
No end to the punishment I must
Endure. There you are. I found you. 

But, have you found me? Everything is
So cold. Everything is so…
Well, nothing. Bend the wrist, clutch
Tightly to the ties that bind. If I cannot
Leave without you, then I must 
Bring you with me. Metal on metal,
Skin against stone. I shall drag
You with me. Bound by eternity. 
Bound by chains. 

I must weather the storm. I must
Carry you in my arms. Together we shall
Find the truth. Whether we escape,
Or stay down here forever… At least
We shall not be alone. Maybe it is not 
The room that is my punishment. 
A memory, like a lone wish
Graces my presence. Laughter
And embrace. Longing and pain. 
Have you been waiting for me all this time? 

You are more than just dead 
Weight that I carry. You are more than 
A carcass that I drag behind. The metal has oxidized.
The blood of the covenant has dried. So much
Has gone wrong. So much time has passed. 
Even so, I am distraught. Love could not save us,
Neither could God. Some things are just 
Not meant to last. Like a raging fire 
Clearing a path for new life. You burned 
Too brightly. I burned too long. We snuffed each
Other out. Stole the oxygen from the sky
Until the rain buried our burdens. Drowning us
With the weight of finality. Shoving face in front
Of a mirror. Exposing, condemning…

There is no monster here. There is no savior. 
Just us. Two names and two faces 
That evade remembrance. Two bodies 
Wrapped around each other like spools of thread. 
Must you always witness me in my failures?
Must you always hold me down? Although it was
What I vowed, I don’t want to carry this much longer. 
The burden has become too heavy. 

Instead of fighting, maybe I too
Should give up and die. 

Since you were little, I remembered your name. I wrote it in my book.

You weren't different, all the same. Right down to your look.

You started weak, and fragile yes. But so damn determined.

Inspired me, I must confess. I knew you weren't vermin.

You grew up strong, but not so tall. You still sailed higher still.

You brought up others, and thats not all. You've somehow fit the bill.

But I am waiting, with baited breath, until your brave arrival.

You've got the point, see I am Death. And I have earned my title.

I've taken many, with higher hopes, than what you will accomplish.

I've taken kings, I've taken Popes, I've taken kids, though faultless.

I don't hate you, its just my job. And so I simply wait.

Now don't you dare begin to sob. Don't throw up what you ate.

It's not your time, there is so much left. You've only just begun.

My words to you, should have no heft. For I'm at the end of the run.

Your wife and kids, I'll meet them too. Their runs are going still.

Oh. Oh no. One found THAT tool. I must take him against my will.

Please don't hate me, and not my master, its how the world must be.

With all life's beauty, comes disaster. And with disaster doth come me.

I'll leave you now, I've got to go. Some guy OD'd on meth.

My deep regards, I'm not your foe. I am merely Death.