note #193

prepare the bells to peal,
the drums to beat,
set out your mourning weeds.
stand the guard,
set the candles,
prepare the end to meet.
steep memories
like flower blooming tea
to soothe the ache of loss.
set the table,
stop the clocks,
cover all the mirrors.
remember the dead
for the life they lived,
the person they were,
and the love they give.

note #192

those dark secrets
that seep out of the cracks
and turn your thoughts black
with the decay of a lifetime.

note #191

they came. in the night they moved, silent as shadows. by day we saw the remains of their passage. death and destruction. feast and famine. the end of life as it was. the beginning of the fall of man.

note #190

as the year turned over and the world stepped forward into the new dawn, i had so many wishes, but only one at the fore: love.

note #189

it was orange juice, right? i asked as i came out of the doors behind him.
he straightened and looked at me in surprise. yes.
here! i smiled bigger and handed him the carton.
thank you! he said as i opened my umbrella and headed back into the storm.
--
could you buy me some orange juice? he asked as i rushed up to the grocery doors, closing my umbrella and moving quickly out of the downpour.
no, no i'm sorry, i responded. sorry.
he returned to his position, leaning against the wall, looking out at the rain, prepared to ask again when another person came along.
his request was so specific, so odd a thing to ask for - not change, not a sandwich, not some food in general. before i had even gone a few steps into the store i had decided. i was only going in for milk and the orange juice was right across from it, it wasn't that much money or even an inconvenience.
did he want one with or without pulp? would it matter?
i stared at the orange juice for a few moments, and grabbed one that was more substance than filler and gimmicks

this is a truth.

note #188

whither wander winsome wight?

note #187

decadent
dripping with darkness
and glamour
the brightest beauty
tarnished in the light
magnificent
in the dark and dusty
halls of this
crumbling
decaying
dream
filled with eternal
night.