A Villain.

I've never been much for heroes.
I've never been much for capes and shields
And dazzling feats of daring-don't rock the boat
Don't tear the walls on down
Don't fight the status quo
For it's all that's worth protecting.

A hero is a bastion of tradition
Truth
Justice
The American Stay right where you are
Hands in your pockets
Movin' not an inch towards our Broken-Promised Land.
Don't earn no more bread crumbs
You done had enough
And no, you ain't gettin' none-a mine
I got a hero to protect my stash.

What, pray tell, was Robin Hood?
A thief
A socialist
A villain of the vainest breed
For he called himself a hero.

But even he stole his share of hearts
Tried to shoot the moon
Wound up in a noose
Buried by the spade
Of the girl that ran away.

A hero is the man that says
I can do what others can't.
I can save the world
For you
And let you be yourself.
Give me your tired
Your weak
Your mundane masses
Yearning to be safe
Yearning to rest assured
That they will never have to stand on their own feet.

A hero is the man that lives his life for you.
I'll steal your meaning
So you'll never miss a thing.
You'll never be
As great as me
You'll never see
The things I'll see
You'll never love
The ones I love
Because I live to serve
Live to live your life
So you don't have to
Feel.

But a villain!
Yes, a villain, that's the stuff
That pens his theses to the wall
And says "Let's make a change."
A villain is the man who says
Stop the wars
Stop taking eyes
You'll leave the whole world blind.
We've no need for heroes
When each man, unto himself,
Is great enough to live a life too
Beautiful
For words.

For heroes.
What's a hero without a villain?
A Lord Protector
Of the Commonwealth
Uncommon wealth
And rare the man who smiles.

A villain is the one who says
Everyone can
Everyone should
Everyone will live life for themselves
And won't horde their love in castles
Won't keep their treasure close
So that never shall the gold be spent
That makes a life worthwhile.

A hero's fond of saying
A tear saved is a respite earned
From beauty.

A villain is the one who dares
To care.
To fight against the flow
To swim against the current (events)
Til he drowns
In heroes, heavens, holy ghosts
His throat so choked with tears
His heart a shattered remnant of the
Would could should have been's.

And yet, he rises, once again
Still he swims.
Still he fights.
Still he fails
And fails
Successfully failing
For life itself.
Whereas a hero,
Yes, a hero,
Never loses
Never loses life
Or love
Or lets his walls fall down.
It's the villain who is broken
Who rebuilds
Who always struggles upward
While the hero pushes down.
A hero has nowhere to grow,
When he's always at the top.
But a villain has nowhere to go
And so he doesn't stop.

A villain is the one who says
I know the price of life.
Protect yourself from pain
And you'll never really gain
One damn thing
A wise man'd say is worth the keeping.
Allow yourself to feel
Let someone break the seal
Try to fly
And soar, on aching wing.

Without a doubt you'll hurt
You'll cry and sigh and spurt
Your wails of woe into a deaf-mute sky.
And when your tears have dried
And your misery has died
Allow yourself to be hurt once again.
That's the cost
Of life
That's worth a damn.

Are you a hero
Or an anyman
The one who never lives?
Are you a villain
Or an every man
The one who always gives?

So.
Do you lock your life away
And let the hero stay?
Or do you just let come what may
Don't fear tomorrow, live today
And watch your heart be stolen by

A Villain.

Romance 6

We walked, slowly, along the river, watching the moon dart behind thin clouds that softly blanketed the stars. We were entirely alone, save for each other and our thoughts. It seemed that those with any sense knew better than to wander outside late at night in the height of December. And yet, we ambled on, oblivious. Or rather, we chose not to notice the cold; we had all the warmth we needed.

"You know, it really is ridiculous that we're not wearing gloves."
"No. It's ridiculous we're out here in the middle of the night in thirty degree weather. It's downright insane not to wear gloves."
"Well, we can always go back."
"And we could tear off each others' clothes, kiss each other from head to toe, and fuck so furiously even the daffodils might think it was spring."
"You know I meant the gloves one wears on their hands, right?"
"I don't really know what good they'd do there, but hey, I'm always up for new things."
"If my hands weren't numb, I'd pinch you."
"Ooo, give me three guesses where!"
"Good lord, you're impossible."
"Hey, just yesterday you were calling me the easiest thing in the tri-state area."
"I do call 'em like I see 'em."
"And I imagine you've seen quite enough."
"Well, like oxygen and socialism, I could always use more."

A gust of wind smacked into us, and we huddled closer. I wasn't quite sure why we insisted on keeping our hands bare. Both were quite numb, so even the feeling of skin upon skin meant little. But I suppose it was par for course, as far as relationships of the lovelier sort go. Logic and love are casual acquaintances at best.

"Are you sure you're not cold?"
"No, I'm fucking positive that I'm cold."
"What was that last part? I heard 'fucking' and my mind started to wonder..."
"I imagine that's not the only thing."
"I'll bet you do."
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means that you're so hot, I'm surprised you don't melt the frost and turn this entire area into a wet mess."
"Well, I don't know about the entire area, but..."
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we in the innuendo business call 'an assist.' "
"Ooo, an audience? I hope they brought gloves. Or at least singles."
"Always the entrepreneur..."

The clouds glided away for a moment, and the moon beamed onto the surface of the water. The surroundings glowed with a surreal light, the sort that is at once brilliant, but devoid of artifice. We stopped walking, and I turned to look at her. When I spoke, it was barely a whisper, as if the mere force of my voice had the power to shatter the serenity in one crashing blow.

"My God, you're beautiful."
"My God, you're pale."
"You're so sweet."
We both smiled, then lightly kissed.
"Careful, we might get stuck together."
"Yes, you've been complaining about it for years. Of course, if your lips were... otherwise occupied, that wouldn't really be a problem, would it?"

I raised my eyebrow, and she promptly mimicked me in that half mocking, half suggestive way that was so positively... quintessential.

I tried to resist, because I hated to think of the smug satisfaction she'd get if I moved first, but I soon gave up and threw myself at her. Chapped lips, numb hands, the worries of today, and the trials of tomorrow were all forgotten as we entwined ourselves in each others' arms. I couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be.

After a few minutes, my brain got the better of me, and I broke off.

She looked up at me, half-heartedly pouting.

"I think we'd be better off continuing somewhere that isn't, oh, reminiscent of a fucking glacier."
"Hey, if it worked for the cavemen, why not us? We are the evolved ones, right?"
"Oh, just shut up and get to the car."

I turned before she could respond and started walking without looking back.

"Well, are you coming?" I shouted behind me, without fully turning to see if she was following.
"Not yet, but I sure hope to soon."
"It might be sooner than you think," I laughed, as I reached the parking lot and turned to wait.
She threw herself at me and barreled me inside the car. She lay on my chest, as I gazed into her eyes, and my hand moved, as it had so many times, to naturally brush away the strands of hair that had fallen to her face.
She flashed a wicked grin and softly murmured, "darlin', we're just getting warmed up."

What you're looking for.

Some folks try to run through life
Flee the pain and breathe the strife
With chaos in their chests so rife
They speed their lives away.

Some folks like to crawl real slow
See the world turn as they go
Fight the wind and watch grass grow
They heed their lives away.

Some folks like to close their eyes
Let each day be a surprise
Have no fear and sigh no sighs
They cede their lives away.

Some folks like to beg for more
Can't window shop; they want the store
Wasting moments they deplore
They plead their lives away.

And some folks simply cannot bear
To have a life devoid of care
No God, no point, this madman's dare
They bleed their lives away.

But me, I prefer the folks
Who give their damns away.
The ones who rarely leave,
But stay
And walk a few more miles.

That hourglass with sands of time
Most cannot help but watch.
The grains just won't stop
Falling
Falling
Falling
Until their world falls flat.

I'm afraid your time is up.
If you'd like to make a call
Please hang up
And die again.

There are ads posted all around the town.
Each one says "Lost Soul: Reward."
No description.
No name.
No number.
Now, how can I get my reward
When I don't know where it gets redeemed
Once I finally find
What it is I'm searching for?

Long time ago, was a man sat on the porch all day smokin' his pipe like he was the
King-a-China
He sit up there and puff puff puff
Never seemed to get enough
Just rocked his chair
Smiled his smile
And had his hair turn gray.
Now what kinda man just sit somewhere
In some old chair
And let himself die old?
What kinda man don't want no life to live?

I am of the persuasion
That life is for the living.
With so many walking dead
It's no wonder there's so much to be had.

Sieze that day and beat it dead
On the head
Choked in bed
Kill it so it won't come back
And kill you first.

Do you ever get the feeling?

It was, oh, twenty years ago when I was first alive.
Ain't lived much since, I'll tell ya that.
I always wonder
Where I buried all my time.
Did I make myself a map
So I could find that treasure-trove
And be young once again?
I've dug awhile
But all I've found are bones.

A kid once told me
"I ain't never gonna die"
And I told him
"Then you ain't never gonna live neither."

Many years past, I met a young gentleman on my way to the capitol.
The man was searching for four leaf clovers by the side of the road.
I stopped and said
"Pardon me, sir, but can I help you find yourself?"
"No"
He said
"I'm not looking for trouble."

Have you ever stopped to think who sees the portrait of our lives?

Do they marvel at the vibrant adulations?
Or wonder what it is
They simply cannot find?

It's hard to know when to stop.
After all, the human condition is to keep on keepin' on
Til you can't keep no more.
Then you pack up your toys
Throw them in the river
And go home.

Is life the procrastination of death?
Why do tomorrow, when you can die today?

All these explorers
In a New World ages old
Looking for their El Dorado's
Or watching others wonder about
As they smirk solipsist smirks
And blink.

Course, some don't want to find no El Dorado.
They just want to sit back
Wait for someone else to find it for them
So they can follow on their heels
And say "I's behind you all along!"

It's easy to hurt the ones who care.
It's just, too.
Just ain't fair that they've the privilege to feel
While you live in your 2d-luxe apartment
With windows looking everywhere but in.

Some folks like to live armchair lives
Criticizing faults and follies
In the comfort and confinement
Of their old unlucky homes.

Some folks want to direct someday.
But they never seem to find the time...

So many players being played
So many peanut galleries
So many folks who won't let go
Thus they never free themselves for more.

When you finally close your eyes
Quenched the fire betwixt your thighs
Answered the how's, forgot the why's
When you know that each man dies
But live, laugh, love at any rate.
When you feel those arms around you
And can't think of words to say
Can't think at all
Can only feel
Can only live
And maybe sigh
As you snuggle close.
When tomorrow's another day
A day to return the peace
You borrowed from the world
And share it once again.
When you never stop,
But merely pause
As you shower your soul with tears.
When you love, are loved, and live, one day to die,
That's when you've found

What you're looking for.

Thank you.

"Sleep life away,"
The demons say
Who lurk inside one's head.
"In just a flash
You turn to ash
To dust, and then you're dead.
Why's the goal
To save a soul
That dies along with you?
You know this mess
Is purposeless;
At birth your life is through.
Don't give a damn
Don't try and care
No one loves you anywhere
Nothing you do can change your fate"
So at the door you stand and wait,
Wishing you were not alone,
Wishing you could scream, could moan
Could live your life!
And yet you stay unmoved.

Well, step out, my darling
Step out, my love
Step out, my chickadee
My silly turtledove
Step out, we'll walk awhile
We'll chat beneath the moon
We'll laugh, we'll sigh, and by the by
You'll sing a different tune.

Step out, you know there's time,
We've got a world to see!
Step out, into my arms
And let life simply be
Don't worry bout that ole black man
With his pointy stick of dread
We'll step out with him, but in due time
For now, don't look ahead
For now, don't watch your step

Out.
Fresh out, in fact
We've done run out of care!
Ain't gettin no more shipments in til, well,
Don't wait up, heh heh
Ain't nothing to wait for
But the day you die.

Told you not to go walking barefoot
Told you you'd get yourself hurt bad
Bad, bad boy
You ain't gonna be awalkin' round here no more
Told you not to step out that door

If a boy can't walk,
Does he stay in bed?
Lock the doors
Close his head
So none of them there folks can help him out?

We got ourselves a shut-in!
A sit-at-home mother
Fucker of a fool
He got his feet broken
Now he ain't steppin' out
He's stayin' in
For good
For better
But worse

Do you know what it's like to stay in bed?
To hide your head in dreams?
Do you know what it's like to think
"The world's no place for crippled kids?"
If it ain't broke
It might deserve to live.

Step outta that house, son
You got a life to give!

Stay at home, stay in bed
Rest your worried, dumbass head
Ain't no reason to get up today.

Can I go out to play?
They need another man.
Well, a good man's hard to find.
Oh.
Ain't no good men round here,
Just relics and regrets.

Step out, love
Play that game
It doesn't matter if you're no good
It ain't about the prize.
The play's the thing
That makes the pain worthwhile

Can't step
Out of sole
De feet
They ain't no good

Well, darlin', all you gotta do is drop a hint
I'll pick it up
Pick you up
And help you walk away
Help you limp into a world that needs your love
And hey, you limp awhile
Perhaps you'll learn to fly
I ain't no wings,
But an arm ain't so bad either.

I want to fly.
To soar, above the trees
So all the you's and me's
Become an us
A life for us t' love.

But I don't mind walking
Til I get my wings.
I don't think I can walk alone,
But give me a shoulder
And I'll share my soul.
Then we'll step out.

We'll step out until I fall
And I will fall.
Drop, in a reign of tears.

But then
Please,
Pick me up
Dust me off
And help me step out

Like you have so many times,
You beautiful umbrella
You courageous crutch
You God-send of a friend
Every one of you

And though I cannot find a way
Though my words can't seem to say
The meaning of my mind
Believe my love
And know I dearly

Thank you.

To Reach You.

I want to be your panacea.
I want to reach inside you and care your thorn away.
I want to touch you, hold you, love you
Until you know you're not alone
Until you believe
What I can't help but dream.

But I can't cure the cancer
That follows as we age
I can't stop the wrinkles
I cannot calm the rage
I can only ebb the flow
When you reach out and say
"I wish I didn't need you,
But now is not that day."

The world is not what I would have
Were I the Lord Divine
If this world were in my hands
I would shatter all my fingers
So I could harm no more.
Small solace are the dreamers
The idealists
The progressive souls that reach and reach and reach
But never seem to grasp
What makes the world go round.

Were I Thy Savior
I would pray away your fears
Devoutly wipe your tears
Until you faithfully believed
That there would come a better day
Than now.

But now is not that day.
Now is not what I would have it be.
Now is not the time when thought and feeling
Are the portrait of each soul.
Now is not when I can hold you in my arms
My head upon your brow
My love around your life
My self within your hands
And all the world at peace.
Now is not that day.

And yet I want to reach
Inside your armored heart
And make you see that one king cannot rule alone.
I want to prove to you I care
Prove that your despair
Is an ailment I can cure.
I cannot hold an iron keep
I cannot kiss a head of stone
I cannot love a castle in the sky.

And still, don't ask me why,
I cannot help but try to fly
To fly, because I only want

To reach you.