Elaines Dance.

Elaines Dance.
__________________

You dance with me then.
to Keep the Phantoms at Bay.
and Chase away these Imaginary
Friends, who feast upon my Heart
each day!

Would you turn away?
if you saw what lies behind
my face?
Or lower your head in
Shame?
(such Beauty is my
Souls Disgrace.)

Not all Wolves are creatures
of Prey.
Some are compelled to serve
The Sheep,
 and kill The Fiend to
Keep them Safe.
( preventing future Tragedy.)

You Dance with me then Elaine,
to replace this Rusty Spoon which
feeds me Pain;
and allow me to make These Fearsome
Phantoms Fade!
(as my Heart shines more in Love
each Day.)

J.Stephen.H.

A Lost Mans Lamentation

A Lost Mans Lamentation.
___________________

My Heart fills with an unexplained sorrow,
as I cast dead eyes on the sleeping form of
innocence.

A small boy wandering somewhere safe in
dreams, with a cherubic half smile fixed upon
his face.

How can something so real become a mere
illusion?..Once the cruel hands of age and
experience grasp it by the neck and squeeze
the sacred life from it?,..destroying this ideal
perfection which was formerly the advocated
topic of  Wise Men, and content Mothers.

I was that Child once. Before Hateful Father
Time worked his wickedry,..showing me an
evil discipline well versed in the morbid arts of
loss and pain!

Now I am a Man. Struggling alone through
the darkness, in constant pursuit of a Grace
which seems impossible to obtain.
__________

Softly now stirs the sleeping form of Innocence
Lost;..A whisper in a cave of screaming voices
who try (in vain) to speak over top of eachother.
Creating incomprehensible Chaos where clarity
was first intended.

Scratch Blind my bleeding eyes to spare me of
this hellish sight!...Or Free Me God!..from my
never-ending decline into this madness shaped
by so many faithless nights!

Hear this Lost Mans Lamentation, and take pity
on a Soul that sold itself to an impossible Ideal
which Perfection itself could never Hope to obtain!

J.Stephen.H.

Extra Extra! (laugh it all about.)

Extra Extra. (Laugh all about It.)

_________________

Make way folks, make way.

Old Man coming through!

Today he is an infant. 

Tomorrow dead at 32!

Extra...extra. 

Laugh all about it!

(no one here will weep 

for you .)

Clean up the Airwaves, 

and Go Green; 

Mother Nature needs

you for the Global Army. 

So get those blood-stained 

teddy bears in the mail 

before the Holidays! 

(this year Peta sent a 

mutilated chicken to 

put beneath My "Holiday" 

Tree.)

Pay no attention to the 

Bobble-Heads dancing

in front of the curtain. 

They're put there to

transmit a sub-sonic 

pulse of pure bullshit 

so your eyes no longer 

see the horror of it all.

And The one who looks 

like a Mutant Pez-Dispenser

is kinda hot! 

( in a way which rivals every

 mans conception of the Perfect 

Blow Up Doll.)

Make way Folks; Make Way!.. 

Dead Man walking

in this dream called Yesterday!

 Extra, Extra. Laugh all

about it! 

( I didn't feel like Crying 

anyway.)

 J.Stephen.H.

To Love such a Fiend.

To Love A Fiend.
____________

Her mere existence incites the Rage
of Angels,
(who succumb to madness when
she laughs)
and I can no longer turn a blind eye
to the trail of dead flowers
left in her
footsteps path.

To Love such a Fiend
promises only misery
and Eternal Suffering;
Yet I Love her more than
a man could ever Love
Anything.

Irony, thy name is Me!
First, Middle, and Last.
And you represent well
The cruelty of Hells Destiny!
(which is a Future without
the Present, or Past,
deprived of Memory.)

J.Stephen.H.

1,000 watery footsteps.

1,000 watery footsteps.
_______________

1,000 watery footsteps, danced
down the dirty windowpane.
It was a rainy day.
And though the sun was hidden
(from some) it smiled!
(sweetly in some other place.)

There was music!
Every object played
an instrument!
A song tuneless...
with an Angels Chorus
of Contempt!
(for the Devils amusement.)

The villagers watched it
from their rooftops,
(wondering when the storm
would stop.)
as it drowned the screams of
dying livestock,
and killed the ticking of Times
Clock!

Then swiftly from The Highest
Mountain came,
(on a cloud by faithful
angels made)
A Faceless Man in Purest White;
who bears the Seal of Holy Names!

He spoke in tongues before the People,
putting to rest that Raging Storm,
which was a test, (of Natures Evil)
and then his Face took form!

1,000 watery footprints,
dance down The Broken Windowpane,
but while the Son Seems hidden
(from some) he Smiles!
(smiles NOW in every Place.)

J.Stephen.H.

Where the Gone Things Go.

Where the Gone Things Go.
_____________________

"Uncle Jeremy?" (my nephew asks.)
"Yes Boy?"

"Where do The Gone Things Go?"
"The Gone Things?" (I ask bewildered.)

"Yeah. People. You know. Like when
they Die."

"I don't know boy. Maybe somewhere.
Maybe Nowhere. It just depends on what
you believe."

"What do you Believe?"

"Well. I don't believe anyone knows
for certain, but a lot of people believe
that good souls go to Heaven and Bad
Ones go to Hell. I tend to hope they're right."

"Bad people who listen to the Devil!"
(he says.)

Right Boy. Bad people who listen
to the Devil."

"Whats a Soul?" (he asks.)

"hmm. A Soul is You. The part of
you that thinks, and feels, and lives
inside of your body. It's believed
by some that when People die, their
Soul moves on."

"To Heaven or Hell?" (he asks.)

"Yeah Boy. To Heaven or Hell."

(My Nephew starts Crying.)

"Whats wrong Boy?" (I ask him.)

"I don't want you to be one of the
Gone Things! (he yells.)

"Well. I don't want to be one of the
Gone Things either; but it happens to
everyone eventually. We all go in our
own Time. Thats why it's important to
leave behind as many good things as you
can, so the people you love can keep a
part of you in their Soul."

"If you go I want you to GO to Heaven.
So don't listen to the devil Ok?" (he says.)

"O.K. Boy. I'll try not to. But I hear
he's pretty tricky."

"well, he dosen't trick me!, and I wont
let him trick You either."

"Thanks Boy. I appreciate that...
really. I'm sure we'll be fine then."

"Yeah."

"Uncle Jeremy?" (he says.)

"Yes?"

"Love you."

"Love you too Boy."
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Simplicity of my Conversation
with this beloved child opens up the
door to several complex questions that
I still ask myself daily. Torn between a
cynicism shaped by Worldly Horror, and my
Hope that there is something better further
down the Road for those "Gone Things"
who left good things behind.

J.Stephen.H.

The Saddest Dreamer.

The Saddest Dreamer.
__________________

The Saddest of dreamers speak
so much of Dreams that
they never get around to living them.

"I am going to do this some day."
"Tomorrow I'll do that." (they say.)
Then Tomorrow is eaten by Yesterday!
(and we cannot bring it back.)

Now you ask:
" could anything be worse?"
Yes. in fact.
It would be worse to Live in such
a selfish way that Our Dreams become
A Nightmare Curse!
Corrupting every Thing of Beauty,
until even Smiles Hurt!

Are you a dreamer who dreams so
much you do not live?
Or a greedy wretch who takes more
than you try to give?

If so beware of promises made,
to do this, or do that.
For Tomorrow is eaten by Yesterday.
(and we cannot bring it back.)
Live NOW.

J.Stephen.H.

Promising Night

Promising Night.
_____________

She looks into my Eyes
where The Dead Things
wait still Dreaming;
pondering Freedom v.s.
Fate.
(Trying to prevent Her
Soul from Screaming.)

Minimized and reduced to
an enlightening afterthought,
by a New and Trusted Friend;
I lash back with Truths that
could be lies depending on
who Hears Them.
(and what they wish to regain
again.)

The Night has never seemed
so Promising to me,
As it does (now) while I
Seek to Hide Myself the Most.
Taking comfort in My Blinding!
(since what I Crave to See Perishes
The Most.)

JS.H.

The Laughter of Idols.

The Laughter of Idols.
_____________

I crave her irrationally.
She whos face bears
the fate of doomsday;
with cruel eyes open,
yet  resembling a Demon
Dead or dreaming.
(of countless ways to toss
me into the flames.)

My mortal wounds beseech
the salt her lips do pour;
aching to burn, and sting
and tear.
Yet I pretend I cannot feel
her anymore!
(while listening for Hells
Music everywhere.)

The Laughter of Idols
invokes (in Me) A Pity
for those Dying Gods;
who sat once upon their
Thrones of eminent Majesty!
The World  exposed them
all as Frauds.
(she introduced their creator
to Me.)

I crave her irationally;
and sing low a sonnet
to the horrors of her
doomsday face!
For now and eternity.
(or until I meet the waiting
Flames.)

jsh.

Within Reason.

Within Reason.
_____________

"Within Reason."
Such an odd sentiment
in a world so lacking.
(perhaps "chaos willing"
would ring more appropriate.)

"Without the Benefit of a Doubt."
Or a Shadow of Proof To nail
upon Reasons Unsturdy Wall.

Without even a Ladder
to Climb towards Grace!
(though miraculously we
find countless ways to Fall.)

Without Truth, what is there
but a Bigger Hole in Me?
A Darker Abyss No Light
can Shine Through!
Or Hell for All Eternity.
( where I drown in Better
Memories of You.)

I Cling (My Love)
to the Ideal of You.
Without Any Reason
to justify my chain of
Thinking.
A New Obssession!,
(No logic shines through)
which seems the strongest
when I'm drinking.

J.Stephen.H.

And My Prey: (The Heart of Man.)

And My Prey:
(The Heart of
Man.)
_________

It is I
who sees
The Tragedy,
behind Mans
Happy Mask..
that he wears
(half-spite)
in Mockery.

(while
performing
Hellish
Tasks.)

+

Angel Hearts,
Bleeding Dead..

I see you
Frankenstein,..

Creating
Monsters
in My Head!!!


(drowning
In A
World
of Wine.)
__


I
found
Redemption,

beneath
The
war torn
Wings of a
Noble Dragon
Slayer.

He taught
This
Game I know
so well.

(but I am
it's Greatest
Player.)

+

Thus
Monsters
Do
Not
have
A
Chance,

So long
as I Still
Stand,

For I see
The Hunt
as
Romance!!!

and my Prey?

(The Heart of
Man.)
+
Angelic
Souls,
Bleed Me
Dead..

I saw you
Frankenstein...

Creating
Monsters
in My Head!!!!

(while drowning
In a sea of wine.)

J.Stephen.H.

On Beauty

On Beauty.
_________________

The difference between Deceptive Beauty
and Poison?;
One kills The Beast faster and leaves a less
bitter after taste.
The other slowly Murders the Soul
while ones eyes bask in the Mock-Glory of
a Sweet (yet sour) face!

Tis a Dreadful Muse indeed,
which fills the Mortal Heart with
senseless Need!
(but leaves the haunted mind sad,
and Empty.)

Beauty in it's highest form is quite capable
of making a cheap dollar store dress look
like the most expensive armani found;
or transforming a simple burlap sack into
Cinderellas Magic Dream Gown.
Not a Material thing of shallow essence;
but a strong and Power Presence!

And It is to this Rare Beauty that I devote
the entirety of my Being.

J.Stephen.H.

The Drowned Ass.

The Drowned Ass.
_____________

I'm not a horse that
could'nt be led to drink;
I am An Ass who drowned
in the desert, while considering
his barren wasteland of a heart
to Be The Ocean of Love.

J.Stephen.H.

Simple Words. (less a sentence, more a verb.)

Simple Words.
(revised)
____________

Oh, if Love were but a
Picture one could paint
with Simple Words!,..

would you edit out the
Sorrow, and the way
it often Hurts?

Or if you knew
Your Future Life,
and the steps you
had till death, would
you walk Alone in Mortal
Strife? ,

(or enjoy with
others what was left?)

I for one would paint
a Picture of Life with
Simple Words,

yet Love, alas!, is
The Oddest Mixture!
Less a Sentence.
(more a Verb.)

J.Stephen.H.

A Need. (stated in Parenthesis.)

A Need. (stated in
Parenthesis.)
_______________

I have a Need,
(stated in
Parenthesis.)
to
(symbolically)
conceal My
(Hearts)
Misdeeds.

This
(open Space)
is My Prison
(Cage)
where I never
Show My
(true)
Face.

Though You
(the Wise)
might find
(in Me)
A Reflection
of (your own)
Certainty!
If you look
 Beyond.

(these Odd
Parenthesis.)

J.Stephen.H.

(in honor of E.E. Cummings.)

The Sole Pursuit.

The Sole Pursuit.
______________

I am a traveller in My Thoughts,
but remain unmoved by every
Train of Thinking;
Wandering towards A Perfection
that I Lost.
(the moment I assumed that there
was Meaning.)

You cannot win a Battle with you
Shadow,..and every surrender is
merely further retreat,
into A Self-Created Hell,
where Madness follows!
(and the only Purpose found is
in Defeat.)

Every Distance dreamed becomes
the Same. ( once it's in front of me.)
Thus a traveller of thought I shall remain!
(and perhaps the sole Pusuit is My
Own Meaning?)

J.Stephen.H.

The Darkman Cometh

The Darkman Cometh.
________________

A Tale told from two perspectives,
Ancient tragedy, and Hope for New
Beginnings. (in this Life.)
One seeks Jusice, so that wrongs
might be corrected.
(The Other takes Dark Vengeance
with a Knife.)
______________

And behold the Darkman Comes.
On a Chariot of Wraiths riding out
of Deaths Most Secret Scene!
His beliefs make a mockery of The Sun.
(poisoning All sacred, Holy Dreams.)

"A Beauty called." he declares.
"Seeking ( in confused lust) a
New Release."
"And I shall answer!"
(to satisfy the longings of My
Annaliese.)
_____

Bones dipped in Blood;
(a fiendish Artist.)
are the Limbs of countless
Monsters thus,
which create his Magic
Paintbrush.
(sanctifying Symbols of
The Heartless.)

This is the Hopeful Tragedy,
which began at the insistence
of an ancient Beat.
And describes (unjust)
the Consequence.
(when an Angel loves A
Beast.)

The Cruelty of his bitter eyes,
drew in her Perfect Stare;
as corruption then sought Paradise,
but found Hells Own Despair!
(A man who told the truth with Lies,
and seduced her Soul in Nightmares.)

j.s.h.

You can't Save the World Justice Vain.

You can't save the World Justice Vain.
___________________________

It was here the monster first laid
upon his softened brow a fist;...
a lonely cabin in the woods which
has since become pains truest
monument.

Nightmare visions now betray the
sad attempts to wear calm masks,
and choke down the hateful rage
which fuels his Hellish Tasks.

Now comes the Trusty Blade;
to sing a song of Vengeance for
The Lost, which Evil Takes.

And Here it Ends, where it began;
a child beaten into a Man;
losing more of himself along The Way.

What contradiction is A Man without
Fears?, who looks beyond the monsters
gaze untouched;  but hears children laugh
and succumbs to tears!

You can't save the world justice vain.
Or rid it thus of every Monster Near.
Since you first knew (upon evils unveiled
touch)
Your World has truly Ended Here.

J.Stephen.H.

These Moments

These Moments.
____________

These Moments can be Razor Blades.
held by Time, that Bastard Surgeon!
(who cuts The Smiles from My Face.)

Every Clock is in on The Conspiracy.
Cleverly ticking away the seconds
like A Cruel Accountant.
Laughing in the Face of Eternity,
because only Time goes marching
On!
(and theres nothing we can do
about it.)

If I wasn't already Crazy,
it would've surely caught up
with me Today.
But the Sanity Ship sailed Long
Ago!,
and left my mind in Flames.
( making kindling out of Sorrow.)

These moments are Razor Blades,
held by Time.( that bastard surgeon .)
and I am a Junkie for the Pain.
(since life would be non-existent otherwise.)

JSH.