talented devil

It takes an
interesting
sort..to..Smile
away The
Nightmares..
and still look
Pretty..regardless
that the Soul
Drips Fear.
(I imagine most
perfect their
Art in front
of a Mirror.)

Was Today
another Lesson
in Heartbreak?..
or..did you Master
The Art of Letting
Go?

It's been Years
for me (personally)
since I've Felt
The Arms of
Sanity Break.

(Though Sanity
is not a Realistic
Thing Anyone could
Truly Know.)

I could probably
Break A Heart
Better..

without leaving
behind such
Bittersweet
Memories that
You Hate Yourself
for Missing..

I am A Devil
of Many Talents
Friend.

(who could Kidnap
the Lying Shooting
Stars before you
wasted your Time
With Wishing.)

It takes an
interesting sort..
to make this
Nightmare seem
more tolerable..
but you seem to
pull it off quite
nicely..

and (Ironically)
The Horrors of
Your Life have
made you Beautiful!

your ethereal kiss

Your ethereal Kiss.
_________________

My Love,

Before Dreaming of Your
Ethereal Kiss..

every Romantic Sentiment
from my lips was but a
Myth...

an imitation of another's
perspective.

(to mask the Truth My
Heart was Grim.)

I must confess..that.."twice-
damned, and thrice careless"
would best explain my general
mood..

which I kept on those Nights
of Loneliness..

while pondering the world in
solitude!

(imagining an Angel's Soft
Caress.)

The Shadows now make sense
to me though..

(some even seem to Shine
occasionally.)

and I no longer wallow in My
Sorrows!

(allowing The Absurdity to
drive me Crazy.)

Oh, Soon my Love..I shall
know Your Ethereal Kiss!..

and.."Become My own
Perspctive."

(which I once considered
A Myth.)

j.stephen.h

there truly is no sanity

There Truly is No Sanity.
_____________

Sleep...
it's never
A Sane
Option..
when Dark
Thoughts
are running
Deep..
and your
Heart feels
like A
Coffin..!

(Or This
Grave where
Phantoms
creep across
Your Tombstone
much too Often!)

I've
counted
Days in
My Head..

Lost in A
Fog of
Memories..

(which I
mostly now
Regret.)

wondering
why Love
Haunts me
more.. than
The Ever-
Present Dead!

(who
Stalk My
Waking
Dreams.)

Perhaps
Tomorrow
I'll find
Peace?

(at least
a Semblance
of Stability.)

Or Maybe
Life is A
Disease!

(and There
Truly is No
Sanity.)

j.s.h.

a long and dreaded absence.

A Long, and Dreaded Absence.
________________________
               _________

Her cheeks turned
the color of Dead
Roses..

and..

Infinity Blushed
away another Second
of A Long and
Dreaded Absence..

Was it My Imagining?
That Love was so Deep
it could imitate The
Sea?

I don't know what
else could have been
Happening.

(which would explain
The Sudden Change In
Me.)
___

oh..that
Pretty Smile..

Those Far-off
Eyes!

They Always
seem to Cut
You!

(When it means
Goodbye.)

both have
already killed
me once..

(Upon Another
Time.)

but still...
that doesn't
mean I want
to Die!

(blushing away
the seconds of
another Dreaded
Life.)

J.Stephen.H.
__

the truth is painted on her face.

the truth is painted on her face.
_______________

It seems the
Voices are all
Comedians now..
standing upon
A Crumbling Stage.
(with Horrors hidden
in their Mouths.)


Oh..The Reality
of Consensus View..
how it stains the
Wanting Individual..
as the Uncertainty of
Life Betrays You!
(and "Truth" remains
a Mystery Darkly 
Beautiful.)

When first I cut My
Puppet Strings..
to see True Life for
what it is..
I Heard Homicidal
Angels Sing!
But then Love Saved
Me With A Kiss!
(and eased My Mortal
Suffering.)

Thus The Voices
are all Comedians
now..
who stand upon A
Rebuilt Stage..
ridding me of Any
Doubt!

(That "The Truth"
is Painted On Her
Face.)

j.stephen.h.

a pretty mornings tragedy

A Pretty Mornings Tragedy.
___________________

All of us are
Dreamers..
and yet..not
all of us Know
What Nightmare
Whispers Life is
Made Of..

What Those
Shadow Artists
paint Behind The
Scenes ..On A
Pretty Morning's
Tragedy..

Or how it feels
to Live In Yesterday..
simultaneously
realizing what
Tomorrow shall
BE!!

(because Your
Future already
happened Somewhere
Better.)

j.stephen.h.

such odd souls which love

Such Odd Souls Which Love.
_________________________

I grinned (at first)
when you spit Stale
Stars In My Face..
but soon thereafter
started to curse..
(when I realized 
They Were A Waste)
Ranting like A
Maniac Chained!
(Inviting You To Do
Your Worst.)

Did you Kiss an
Angels' Ass with
that Mouth? 

(I ask)

Or sell The cheap
remainder of Your
Cheaper Soul to
get One Final Laugh?

You knew Damn
well I'd never Open
My Eyes!

(and perhaps there
is a slight degree of 
Comical Horror
in That.)

Oh..may The Smiles
of Shadows Strike
me Dead!

For I knew it all
was simply Jest!,..

(and Love a 
mere Whisper 
In My Head.)

But I played
To Lose anyway
Didn't I?!

(as you Tore
My Paper Heart
to Shreds.)
_

I Cried (at first)
when you said
Goodbye... and
(insincerely) Wished 
Me Well..

but soon thereafter
I began to Realize
Such Odd Souls which 
Love shall Rarely 
Die!

and that we will meet
again here soon...

(or In Hell.)

j.s.h.

my one and only love

My One And Only Love.
____________________

I waited there
(in the Dark)
A Small Eternity..
for "Her".
My Grand
Infinity..
The Beginning
of A New Life,
that will Kill
The Old Devils
stirring in Me.
Her..
The Angel
who Pets Lions
and Turns them
into Kittens with
Her Gentle Touch..
Her..
The Maiden
of Grace No
Shadow can
Corrupt!

Her..

(My One and
ONLY LOVE.)

j.s.h.

future martyrs and would-be saints.

Future Martyrs and Would-Be Saints.
__________________________

My Soul Laments
this worldly lack
of Worthy Causes..

it's Dead Time
for Future Martyrs..
(and Would-Be Saints.)
who look into The
Abyss and Farther!

(only to Realize
Life's Darkness
Taints.)

Oh..t'is an Error,
or..The "Error of
My Errors." To
have ever assumed..

That The Heart
is but a Pit of
Terrors!

(and Love No
Longer Fresh
in Bloom.)
___

Her Laughter
killed The Tragic
Comedian Walking
The Shadows of 
My Heart's Grim
Absence..

(filling My Head 
with Restless
Need.)

So that My
Devil Eyes
Now View
The World
Through Angel
Glasses!

( and The 
Worthiest 
Cause shall
Be Her Saving
of Me.)

j.s.h.

you know its life

you know its life.
____________

You Know it's
Life..

when the Tears
are Dead and
Dried..

(except as
Memories in
Your Mind.)

and you
calculate each
misconception.

(Wishing you
were Blind.)

Love and
Sanity don't
Mix..

once True
Madness
Unmasks
Those Pretty
Delusions..

to Expose an
Ugly Crucifix!

(which you
nail yourself
upon to hide
Your Souls
Confusion.)

You know
it's Life..
when Death
seems to
Invite The
Best of Men
To Dinner
for a Game of
Chess..

and All
are Fools,
or (Ironically)
The Sorest
Winners!

(who Die
before They
Have A
Chance to
Weep or
Self-Confess.)

Yeah...
it's Life..
and I'm
A Madman
in Love With
It All...

Because Death
is a Poser who
wears The Cloak
of Memories like
a Knife..

(Or Tragic Clown.)

Always Laughing...

(as Our World
turns Upside
Down.)

J.S.H.

who smiles through every tear.

Who Smiles Through Every Tear.
________________________

Who wants to
Rant at Walls,
when The Bastards
have no Ears?

Come My Dear..
let me Show you
Finer Treasures
Here.

I am Misery..
insisting on an
Audience To
My Ranting..

Heed me..
and Be Saved!

(from another
Day's Monotony.)

And what Pretty
Eyes you Have
Sweet Death..

The Better to
Laugh at Me!

(I suspect.)

It must be easy
Being You..

How They
Cower in
Respect!

(and pay
their Proper
Dues.)

But..
who wants
to Rant at
These Bastards
Walls..

Come Love..
let us seek an
Exit From Here.

For I am
Misery..

and You..
My Company.

(Who Smiles
Through Every
Tear.)

J.Stephen.H.

untouchable

Untouchable.
______________

Don't you know
I am Untouchable?

That the Gods
of Verse do Favor
Me?

A Machine now
Indestructible!

(which Fuels
The World with
Poetry.)

Saints and
Devils
step aside..

when I enter
Pretty Starlit
Rooms..

Because they
Know My
Head is
Occupied
with Thoughts
that Mark Their
Doom!

I can make
A Monster
Cry..

A Martyr
Laugh..

A Demon
Weep.

Or Sing
A Hangman's
Lullabye!

(which puts
the World
To Sleep.)

Don't you
know I am
Untouchable?

That The
Universe is
Of One Will?

A Machine
now Indestructible!!

(and The
Gods are
Laughing
Still.)

J.Stephen.H.

feed the world my nightmares

Feeding The World My Nightmares.
_________________________

I considered
the
Rehash quite
Important..

assumed it
would
set A Golden
Theme..

Yet Love
(I'm afraid)
must be
Aborted.

(or Written
Off as A
Dream.)

+

Angels Play
their merry
Harp-Strings..

Everywhere
but Here.

(it seems.)

As Secret
Notes of
Suffering..

Consume
My Head
with
Screams!

+

So Keep your
Pretty
Painted Smile.

Those Deep
Blue Eyes
which seemed
to Care..

and
I'll sit Here In
The
Dark A while!!

(feeding the
World My
Nightmares.)

j.s.h.

this empty space

This Empty Space.
________________

Odd how The
Words pour out
at The Strangest
Moments...

in the middle 
of Life's Daily 
Routine..

and you Wish
you could freeze
The Memory
somehow (and
own it.) to 
prevent it from
slipping behind
The Minds 
Subconscious
Screen.

I feel like
an Automaton,..
trapped behind
a Wall of Painted
Glass..

Screaming At
an Abyss to find
some Comfort
in the Dawn!

(silenced
by The Torments
of My Past.)

Cunning and 
Baffling is This
Liquid Devil..

which makes
My Shadowed
Life seem Blessed
By Angels' Grace..

My Hands 
are Calm..

Equilibrium
Level..

Then Everything
Fades once
the Nightmare
of Reality leaves
me Strangled!!

(and Suffocating
in This Empty
Space.)

J.Stephen.H.

the god of no names.

The God of No Names
_________

I Worship The
God of No Names..
who watches always,
but seldom plays.

(Man's Spiteful
Games.)

It is in Nature
that I see It's Face..
The Masculine, and
Feminine Grace..
Combined into A
Perfect Machine.

(which propels The
Human Race.)

Alas..Every
conceivable
World is contained
withinin the Atom
of One Single
Thought...

and as I meditate
on This..

My Soul is restored
To Freedom.

(which most have
since Forgot.)

j.s.h.

1,000 goodbyes later

1,000 goodbyes later.
_________________

It should
(by now)
be Clear...
that it is
Love (Alone)
which keeps
Me Here..

A Happy
Slave to
Every Wish,
which utters
from Your
lips My Dear!

Your Silence
leaves My
Soul in Chains..
A wanderer
Lost, and Without
Purpose..

Cringing across
The Floor Ashamed !

(Life's Unlucky,
Sad Absurdist.)

Yet still,.. 1,000
Goodbyes later,
and Here
(my Love)
I shall remain!

j.stephen.h.

down here in the endless dark

Down Here In the endless dark.
_____________________

Down Here in
The Endless Dark,
(where Insanity grows.)
Lost Children Play
with Frozen Hearts.
(and Make Dead
Angels In The Snow.)

God Smiled once
upon them all..
but that (I'm afraid)
was Long Ago..

Now He Dances
at The Madman's
Ball!

(where None but
I Dare lead or Follow.)

J.Stephen.H.

The One Who Tears It Down.

The One Who Tears It Down.
_________________________

I wish that I
could Save
Them All..

The Sheep
in This
Machine..

Who lack
A Shepherd
They can
Call.

(To Free
Them From
Their
Dream.)

+

My Head
pounds Madly
when They
Scream..

because I
know the
way it feels..

to be Trapped
In A Horror
Scene.

(Entranced
By Smiles
that Kill.)

+++

Everything
Here Makes
Me Sick..

Till I Puke My
Heart Out With
A Frown..

But This
Machine
Will soon
Fall Brick
By Brick!!

(and I'll be
The One Who
Tears It Down.)

J.Stephen.H.

suicidal hearts.

suicidal hearts.
_________________

Everyone knows Him..
The Man Who Commits
Suicide (in His Heart)
100 times a day, but decides
to stick around..because he
is (if nothing else) a Glutton
for Self-Punishment.

He:The Human Alien..
from "Planet Why"...
who see's Hell in Every
Paradise.

The Keepers of Myth fear
Him,..because every thought
running through his Head has the
ability to tear Down The Machine
brick by brick...until little
remains but a Skeletal Reality
similar to a hologram which can
be filled with New Experience..
creating an Infinite Series of
Personal Worlds based upon
The Desires of Those Who
Think Freely For Themselves.

He craves this Newfound Love,
because, In Love, he commits
Suicide (in his heart) a few Times
Less...since People cease to be
Glorified Animals...
and are Reborn...to wear
the cloaks of Angels...
cleansed by their Sins because
Human is as Human does and
all are Human because...

(we're gluttons for
self punishment.)

j.s.h.

weary of the dance

He grew weary of

the Senseless Dance.

(that Chaotic Two-

Step known as

Romance.)

T'is more 

Untrustworthy

than The Dead.

Gone in Half A

Glance.

(A Memory Frozen

in His Head.)

beneath the cardboard stars

Beneath the Cardboard Stars.
(a re-ViSiOn
___________________

Tonight The
Moon
seems different..

nagging
and
petulant..
like a
wench.

As
I
cower
beneath
the
Cardboard
Stars.

(choking
on the
fumes
of My
Dying Soul's
Stench.)

Oh ..
it seems
"We"
have a
Visitor
Friend..

who has
traveled
far and
wide to
Preach..

Dark
Revelations
which
Reveal The
End!

( Of 

A
Love 

I
begged
My
Brighter
Half To
Teach.)
_

She
Smiled
at
My
Lone
Heart's
Funeral..

like a
Child
full of
Constant
Mirth.

and..
I
imagine
Those
Cardboard
Stars
Smiled with
Her!..

(when
they Placed
My
Body in the
Dirt.)

J.Stephen.h.

The Serpentine Cherubs.

The Serpentine Cherubs.
_________________

I distrust these
Cherubs who
mimic Love
Serene.

(all the while
clothed in
Vestures Dark,
and Serpentine.)

They may Fool
Half of The
Sleeping World..
but..they will
Never Fool Me.

I've seen them
standing by The
Shores..

Screaming about
The Wonders of
A Nameless God..

yet I seldom
listen anymore!

(since I know
that they are
Frauds.)
_

The Voice of
GOD is a Whisper..
which creates An
Endless Roar..

Heard by every
Listener, whether
Deaf, or Standing
at Hell's Door!

(wondering if
there's goodness
left, in He who
was an Angel
Once Before.)
__

I distrust those
Cherubs in My
Dreams..

who mimic
The Voice of
Love Serene..

For though they
Walk in Human
Skin,

Their Eyes
are Serpentine!

(and they shall
Never See Heaven
Again.)

j.stephen.h.

all the devil wrote.

All The Devil Wrote.

_____________

She Sings
Dead The
Sky In OurEyes withoutopening HerMouth..

Four Tailor
made Coffinscontained inOne Bleak Stare..taunting The Beast..

(until I let it Out.)

Now..
Do you See...why Love getsus Nowhere?

___

Hell seems
more tolerableon Autumn Days..

Angel-Head
Tumble-Weeds,and Fiery Rains.

but it's Lonely
Here where I am King.

(A Prison
of Genius No SoulEscapes.)

__

So what if
I can't Sing?

Is there really
such Majestyin Love's fleetingNote?

Life is A
Symphonyof Suffering!!

(and that's
All The Devil Wrote.)

-Thirteen-

This is Tragedy.

This is Tragedy:

When a Broken
Man (Void of Hope)
remembers every
wound inflicted..
but for the Life 
(and Death) of Him
cannot recall Love's 
Soulful Kisses!
(or Why his Heart
No Longer Bleeds.)

The World becomes
an Oxymoron.
Eternal Darkness
Without Dawn.

The Land of Never Tell

The Land of Never-Tell.
___________________

Once upon A
Black Heart Beating,
in a Barren Land
called Never-Tell..
there lived A Man
Devoid of Feeling.
(with Eyes consumed
by Hell.)

Even Cherubs
kept their distance,..
from this Man of
many Scars,
in Fear that he
would thus seek
Vengeance.

(upon
The Dying Stars.)

Heaven Once
Did Weep for Him,
(but that was very
long ago.)
before The Eyes
of God grew Dim.
(and looked away
in Sorrow.)

×

Once upon
A Pure Heart
Beating, in A
Wondrous Land
called Always Tell,
There was A
Man who loved
an Angel!...
Who  fled from
Grace.

(or Fell.)


j.s.h.

(unlikely to
be continued
For lack of
Angels .)

My Hell is Contagious

Hell is Contagious.
__________________

My Hell is
Contagious
you Know.

I sneeze,
and the
World
Burns.

(or Drowns
in Mortal
Sorrow.)

I can show
you Where
The Devil
Hides.

Blanketed
in Sub-Context..

Smiling
Between The
Lines..

Because it
knows there
are few Angels
left!

(and None
of Them can
Touch Me this
Time.)

-ThIrTeEn-
_______________

(the heart is
a dish best
served cold.)

in the eternity of A dying moment

In The Eternity of
A Dying Moment.
_______________

Here
(and now)
In The Eternity
of A Dying
Moment..

My Heart
Bleeds Out,
upon the Wall
of Love!!

(yet Stubborn
Lips remain
Silent.)

I Loath The
Weakness
of My Head,

This Circular
Square Dance
of Joy and Sorrow..

recalling Old
Feelings,

(once thought
to Be Dead)

Reborn as
Hate!

(and Likely
Grief Tomorrow.)
_______

In The Eternity
of This Endless
Dark ..

I beg
Forgiveness
for My Sins..

from The
Stubborn
Angel who
Owns My
Heart!!

(and
Watches
from Her
Vengeful
Heaven.)

j.s.h.

(another one of
my...Perspective
Pieces.)

the forest of the dead

In The Darkness of Phonetic Discord.

__________________________

I've been walking in these

woods forever,..following

the screams.

Wondering where the

Madness might lead.

Last Night they were

Younger...

Blanketed by an

Uncommon Youth 

which seemed to 

be a Razor.

( that no longer

cuts Me.)

They are Precocious

Screams now... 

Mature in Their

Pain, with Bruised

and Broken Mouths..

Dwindling through The

Darkness Of Phonetic

Discord!!

and...Shit...

Shit...

(I really can't

take this Anymore.)

____

I wake up in a cold

sweat with the screams

swimming in my Head..

damn...

It seems as though
I've been in these Woods
forever.

(The Forest of The Dead.)

J.Stephen.H.

to the marrow of my soul

To The Marrow of My Soul.
_______________________

I pulled Cupids
Arrow from My
Heart,..then caught
A Sparrow.

It was Dark
(Pitch- Dark)
and The Path
Ahead so Narrow,
that I did not
See Destiny Pass
before My Eyes!

Yet I knew The
Moment She Left.

(so chilled to The
Marrow of My
Soul Was I.)
______

There are No
Victors in War,
when Love becomes
A Call To Arms,..
and Smiles
(like Trumpets)
Fade,..until you
Forget what you're
Fighting For!..

Battling Sleep
to stay awake..
Because in Dreams
You recall The
Death of Stars!

( in The
Eyes of that Pretty
Girl You Promised
not To Harm.)

________

Cupid Laughs
sadly now, as
I sit Lonely trying
to figure out,
where I went wrong..

and discover
the point My
Words inspired
Doubt,..

which silenced
thus Her Angel
Song!

(that may never
again Be Heard..
Aloud.)

__

J.Stephen.H.

a world in pieces

A World in Pieces. (to be continued.)
____________________________

She Dreams of a Peaceful World..
and The Sincerity of Her Heart
touches something in my Own.
(which is somewhat of a Miracle
considering it was once an immovable
Stone.)

I often think to myself that there must
be Secret Angels at work in her Head..
whispering Golden Thoughts into Her
Psyche. Yet, She is so Unique that I
immediately write this off as a Fallacy.
(thus it's more likely that she is simply
A Secret Angel.)

There truly are no Victors in War.
I learned that the hard way. There
are simply Losers who Die, and
Losers who survive to Kill (for
Nothing) another Day. ..Always
leaving a Path of Pain, and Dest-
ruction in their Wake.

Yet..The Irony of Life is that in order
for there to be Peace, one must FIGHT
for it,..with Words. And it always
begins with the Whispers of a Select
few,.which creates a Roar that touches
the Entire Universe. (until everything
changes.)

Unity..that is the Key.
A Collective Outcry for
Love.

For a World in Pieces,
shall Never know Peace.

(to be continued.)

j.stephen.h.

a brief essay on war and pacifism

A brief Essay on war and Pacifism.

_________________________

I find it somewhat Ironic
that the Individual Freedom
many exercise to Protest

War, (in the Name of Peace) 

was made possible (in part)

by Warriors who KILLED 

Tyrants Opposed To Social

Liberty.

In George Orwell's novel
1984 he said that : 

"Good People sleep 

peaceably in their beds

at night, only because 

Rough Men stand ready 

to do Violence on their 

behalf."

The Sad Reality is that the

World is full of greedy, power
hungry manipulators intent on
suppressing the liberties of
others simply for the sake of
their own gain, or because
they disagree with the religious
rites a given society chooses
to practice,..and such tyranny
CANNOT be reasoned with using
mere Words Alone.

I would love to see a World
where others got along,
and were able to embrace
the diversities of individuals
who see reality differently,
but unfortunately Violence
has proven (on repeated
occasions) to be the most

effective means by which

to deter Social Tyranny.

Those who Fight for Peace

 are (rather ironically) Warriors of

Virtue, comparable to Shepherds

watching over their Sheep, to

ensure that Wolves of Prey do

not feast upon them.

Ask yourself honestly,..Would

the Atrocities committed

by Tyrants throughout History

have been deterred simply by

standing in the streets with"thou

shalt not kill"signs?..sadly

it's unlikely.

When Hitler was killing off Jews,

and those considered "socially

inept" by  the millions, it was

Necessary to call upon Warriors

to destroy the morally bankrupt

soldiers who chose to follow

him, in order to defend the rights

and well being of an Oppressed

Mass.

( which in my view makes

those considered "Killers" by

a wide variety of Pacifist types,

True Liberators of The People.)

I could readily state countless

examples of Necessary Violence,

but to do so would be superfluous,

so I will only conclude in saying

that, At the end Of The Day

we are a Warring Species,

and the rightness or wrongness

of Any Violent Action is

determined by whether we

are fighting to Preserve, Protect,

and Defend the Innocent,

or to oppress and control

the World.

Thomas Jefferson was

correct in his assessment

when he said..

"The Tree of Liberty must

be refreshed from time to

time with the blood of Patriots,

and Tyrants."

So, the next time you feel

yourself getting caught up in the

glamour of A "Peace and

Love" Philosophy of Pacifism,..

remember that there are "Rough

Men Ready to Do Violence

on Your Behalf.

(Someone has to.)

thank you...

J.Stephen.H.\

the broken record dance

 The Broken Record Dance.
______________

I laughed when you told
me rage was a commodity,
and not to waste it on Myself..
as we danced clean spots
on the dirty sawdust floor,..
singing along with Angels.
(sent from Hell.)

Your smile looked cut on
by a Cynical Surgeon, who
(lacking humor) seemed to
posses a profound sense of
Irony.

but Damn I love it when
you grin that way!

(though it often feels like
Love-starved Parasites are
eating The Heart from Me.)

"What do you fear more
than The Broken Record
Yesterday?" (you ask.)

"Well..I am terrified of
becoming a Cliche'. Or
This Madman who always
Laughs!"

(regardless that I cannot
wipe the tears away.)

"Ah... Rage."

("it's such a f?cking
waste.")

j.stephen.h

two romantic comedians.

Two Romantic Comedians.
____________________

As Lovers we shared
our Nightmares by the
candle light,..laughing
so hard it often broke
the stitches of our mending
Hearts..

but as enemies...we weep
at the concept of a Smile!

(and The Surrounding
World grows Dark.)

Yesterday, I was obsessed
with Amorous Wordplay..
constantly seeking new ways
by which to express The
Burning of my Heart.

Today?...

I am a Shadow choking on
The Flames!...

(lamenting The Death
of Love's Sweet Art.)

The Nightmares were always
real,...(just less intense when
viewed from the grinning eyes
of Two Romantic Comedians.)
and each Cut reminded us what
it was to FEEL!

but I fear that now we shall never
Laugh...!

(or Bleed Again.)


j.s.h.

the price love pays

The Price Love Pays.
(to see a pretty smile.)
_______________

Hello Old Love..
it's been a while..
(and it's been Hell.)

but should Hell
be the Price Love
Pays to see a Smile?

(often it seems I
have confused the
Beating of My Devil
Heart, with the tolling
of A Thanatopian
Bell.)

I saw Angels in
The Woods last
night,..

they were
the Cruelest Kind..

who (with the snap
of golden fingers)
killed the Pale Moon
Light!

(and perpetuated
The Horrors in My
Mind.)
_

yet, If Hell be The
Price one must pay,
to see again their
Lovers Smile..
I shall, (someday)
give my all to
To Those Flames!

and Burn With You
My Love...

(if only for a while.)

j.s.h.

illumination

On Illumination.
 ____    ______

To become Illuminated means
no less than Refusing to follow
the mindless flock of this majority,
and seeking instead the Hidden
Divinity which exists in each of us.

It's not about a "War between
the Forces of Good and Evil.",
but rather coming to the Realization
that both forces are Necessary
and must instead be Balanced
.

back into my shell

Back Into MY Shell.
_______________

now i suppose it's
really goodnight..

and bye,

or.. "BetterBye"

BestBye..

Bye which lingers
in ones Sight..!!

Bye that never
seems to Die!!

(Because I never
got it Right.)

My Oh My.
this one would
make a decent
Poem as Well!

I like Pieces
Born From My
Life...

(which has always
oddly teetered between
Heaven and Hell.)

but..Goodnight,
and Bye...

(I'm crawling back
into My Shell.)

j.stephen.h

all of the intention of a fresh picked rose

All of The Intention of a Fresh Picked Rose.
______________________________

Have you ever
Awakened into
A Nightmare,..
while wondering
when The Nightmares
were going
to End?

Kill The lights and
Fade to Gray!!

(Lose Faith in
Love Pretend.)

I wrote a Pretty Prose ..
which had all of the
Intention of a Fresh
Picked Rose.

But soon Tore Every
Petal Off.

(before Love had
a Chance To Grow.)

She Loves Me!!"
She Loves me Not!!"

( I suppose I'll never Know.)
..............

This Nightmare is
beginning to be
my Favorite Reality. .
Because I know
what to Expect.

Gray Walls,
and Hopeless
Dreams,..full of
Puppets who
View Themselves
in Retrospect!!

with Pretty Prose
bearing every Intention
of Loves Sweet Memory!,..

A Rose which
Masks the lingering
Scent of My
Lone Heart's Death!!

(Now and For Eternity.)

j.stephen.h

A Purgatory in My Head.

A Purgatory In My Head.
_______________

I Feel Dead,
or Deader than
Dead..with Love
a mere Purgatory
In My Head..
and yet I Smile..
like Death.

(though I wish
to Frown instead.)

I met an Angel,
(named Regret.)
who showed me
what It was to
Feel..
She left
Me Strangled
in Our Bed.

(of nails which
stab but seldom
Kill.)

Yet.. I'm Dead..
Hell,..Deader
than Dead.

(with Love a
mere Purgatory
In My Head.)

J.Stephen.H.

a two cent destiny.

A Two-Cent Destiny.
___________________

But then again..
what truly can?
Separate The Animal.

(from Man.)

When looking
through The Heads'
Tin Can..

(Trapped in
This Psychotic
Mystery Channel!!)

Wondering where
it All Began.
_

In My Dreams,..
Chaos Mated
with Purpose..
and Conceived
The Bastard "Me."

Yet in Spite this
Nothing Here
seems Worthless!

(in Fact I just
spent Two Red
Cents, To Change
My Destiny.)
_

j.stephen.h

(just a bit of
abstract curiosity
I reckon.)

dual perspectives.

Dual Perspectives.
________________

Years Ago,
I sought Love
behind every
Hateful Symbolism.
(disguised as
A Metaphor.)

But it was
Never Enough.
(and I've mostly
Forgotten what
I was Looking
For.)

The Moral of
The Story is:
It's Subjective..
and Whenever
you Reminisce
The Blade
Cuts Different!

(since Life and
Art are Dual
Perspectives.)

_


j.stephen.h

the lovers who wept razorblades.

the lovers who wept razorblades
_____________________

I imagine that if you
wept razor-blades,
you would already be
Faceless my love..

and, (whether you
choose to believe
it or not) I used to
Know The Feeling.

My Heart wasn't
always like this
you know..

Wrapped in
Barbed Wire,
and surrounded
by a Gray Wall
of Forced Indifference.

I used to Smile
at (nearly) everything.

In Youth the World
was an Amusement
Park Ride I never
wanted to get off of,..

yet now..It is a
Terrifying thing
which increases
my awareness of
Mortality..to the
point where I see
Death Frowning
around Every
Corner. (waiting
to embrace Me.)

Yet I don't want
to be like this
My Love..

A Selfish, Insecure
Tyrant who forms
a Master /Slave
Dialogue between
our Burning Hearts...
I want to be the
Torch of Liberty
which inflames
The Entirety of
Your Being..
allowing your
Soul to Shine
Bright Enough!

(For all of The
Reading World
to See.)
_

So...
Let's Ride
this Crazy
Ride together,
you and I..

laughing through
every Joy and
Woe, as our Eyes
Drink In the
Craziest of Scenes!

Otherwise I'm
trapped Here..
Alone..with a
Head full of
Razor blades.

(which makes my
Grim Soul Faceless
as I Weep.)

j.stephen.h.

so the world wont see me cry

so the world wont see me cry
__________________

I'm grateful for every
moment good and bad
we shared...

grateful for your fiery
Nature..

(and your ever-
changing hair.)

Grateful for those
few months of
"Forever"..

grateful for The
Sun, and Storms.

with you it's always
Perfect Weather!

(even when I
Am Forlorn.)

I'm Grateful for
the One Thousand
apologies you accepted
out of Grace.

Grateful even for
the Tears.

(I've Dreamed of
Tasting on your Face.)

I'm grateful Bellus,
and so you know,
I Never Will regret..

The Love which
Burned Between Us
which I cannot just
"Forget"!

I'm Grateful that
it's Dark Outside,
and Shadows Paint
the Sky..

In Fact I Pray
for Endless Night!

(so the World
won't see me Cry.)

J.Stephen.H.

eternity locked.

Eternity Locked.
(a brief tribute to
the Style of Glenn
Marchand.)
________________

My Fading Love,
(a Closing Gate.)
I did not want, to
Desecrate, The
Hard-Won Trust,
you had in Me,
but Lies Corrupt!
(and Lust Misleads.)

You Were The
Key, To My Hearts
Door, Eternity
Locked!

(Forevermore.)

J.Stephen.H.

This is a Brief Tribute
To the Style of The
Profound Writer Mr.
Glenn Marchand.
I only wish it did
Him better Justice.

the rabbits abyss

The Rabbits Abyss.

___________

The rabbit hole
just became an
ABYSS Alice!!

shall we sit down
and dance?

exchanging words
of Loving Malice..
to sever forever our
senseless Romance!!

Be sure to point

out ALL of my

flaws..so that this

world is given the

most appropriate

picture of my stark

depravity..

The Mad Hatter
and I (in Me) shall
sit this one out.

(though I do 

thoroughly enjoy a 

bit of Madness

with my Mourning
Tea.)

love..sincerely...

XIII

weeping fists and a chalkboard brain

Weeping Fists, and A Chalkboard Brain.
______________________

As I stand here
weeping with
Bloody Fists..
A Proud Wall
becomes The
Victim of My
Vengeful Tears..

but is LOVE
supposed to
Feel like this?

Like you're
Trapped
awake inside of
a coma!!!

(where it seems
you have not slept
in Years.)

Is Love a few
indifferent one-liners
which seemingly
express The Heart's
Fond Sentiments?

Followed by eternities
of Silence...as you BLEED
your Soul out endlessly
in extravagant sentences!!

I feel Love's
Fingernails scratching
the Life out of My
Dusty Chalkboard
Brain..

and..if LOVE
is madness?
I am TRULY
INSANE...

but..nonetheless..

(No fists shall
ever weep their
vengeance upon
Those Walls again.)

j.stephen.h.

oxymoronical love

an Oxymoronical Love.

________________

She makes my

Head an Oxymoron..

so that I sit

(calmly impatient)

on Dark Mornings.

(waiting for The

Sun to Rise at Dawn.)

My World had always

been Beautifully Ugly.

A Duality of Opposing

Extremes,

until she Planted Her

Timeless Seed In

Me!

Which led to Immortality!

(down A Broken Path of

Dying Dreams.)

She can't stand the way

I Love so Hatefully..

(consumed by Trusting

Jealousy.) Or Accept

This Ever Burning Flame,

which has chilled my

Monster Heart with RAGE!!

(since The Old Age of

MY Infancy.)

_

I must Begin This with

a Better Bad Ending..

to Honor the Dishonor of

intended Themes,..

and stifle the immensity of

Silent Screams!,..

which bleed  forth from

 the Shallow Depths!

(of my stupidly intelligent

Psyche.)

Oh..how I Hate Loving

so Oxymoronically!..

yet..the Brokenness of

it all completes me!

As I sit here watching

the Noon Day Moon.

(Life's Madness

restoring My Sanity.)

But,.. nonetheless I

still Laughingly Weep!!

(For that Angel who

brings out  The Civilized

Beast in Me.)

J.Stephen.H.

scars of survivial

Scars of Survival.
________________

She is A Very
Beautiful Girl,
Who seeks to
Share her Heart
with the World..

Displaying Scars
of Survival through
Restless Art...
which makes the
Statement:

"Hide not from
The Dark!"

(but rather
Embrace it.)

_

While I feed
them Shadows
from My Head..

never removing
This Intellectual
Mask.

(which would
Reveal that I
Am Faceless.)
__

She sees
the Inner-Parts
of me Broken..

and does not
look away..

as I Drown
in Those Deep,
Mysterious Oceans,
(of Her Eyes)
and Wish that
I could Stay!!!!
_

I know

(with a

Certainty

Beyond Hope)

that I shall

see Her One

Day..

Loved,

Admired..

and Safe..

(absent of

Her Former

Sorrow.)

Cherished

by The World!

(I seek now

To Escape.)

J.Stephen.H.
__________________

This is (once again)
For the Lovely Girl
Who's Eyes Consume
The Stars..

(You know My Love
Who You Are.)

I Wish I could be Different.
(but such Is The Nature of
My Scars.)

jsh

at first glance

At First Glance.

______________

There will 

always be 

Frauds 

(out there)

selling 

Imaginary

Scars..

Always  

A Creative 

Clod.

(wishing  

it could Be 

A Star.)

Always A 

Symbolism

Contained..

(with a 

Symbol.)

The Hidden 

Truth of A 

Soul who

Craves 

Pain..

(Enraged 

at  Those 

It Could 

Never  

Resemble.)

Creators,

Imitators..

and 

Liberators..

Hand in Hand

Dancing The

Dance That

Artists Dance..

Struggling to

Prove Who Is

Greater.

(But really 

it's  obvious

at First 

Glance.)

j.s.h.