On the Darker Trail, The Wizard and Gatherer of Souls IV

Facing A Tyrant’s Collateral Damage IV So old man, old man So crusty wrinkled, infirm You... walking so weird... Shadows play catch-up; I guess running seems absurd In your condition. Dilapidated Feet scoured from false trails run Sun’s set, season’s past; Wherefore can you go Since good life went that-a-way Many moons ago. Any wet-tears left? Or are eyes just... dried conscience Unable to cry. ____________*____________ Therefore, move thy shell aside Better mystic men are coming through For we have many, more important places to go... Than you ever will, or ever did. Look at your self Fuzzy, stooped over, slow and obscure… Surely life has had its way with you In obtaining such collateral damage For all see plainly on these rearmost lines of summer’s spent Any bravery’s once, no longer are worn on your soiled shirt. Or were brave deeds in truth… was even one, ever... truly present Versus... just sham medals on shamed dirt? Did you rise right to challenges That scoured most men’s very soul… Losing all loved and cherished Lost in the rising vagaries of ill times Suffering sordid events raging around you That now tired, you just abide by... silenced. Is this your reason Or just wall paper for excuse... Never sounding out a teeny peep, within the shriek heard Most likely yelling within, your deepest part of guilt... Your own palace erected there by inner nameless fears… Housed as such in willful ignorance’s, and allowed hypocrisy’s; Fearing worse, if found out now a coward Letting this heard... worse, loosed Spilling out into the wider, cold world to see… Truth of your existence, better never to be born... The World you helped, made foreign Along so many better others, like me! I at least know my place, and worth As a flock of large black crows flew by, calling. Pleased am I with fresh captive for amusement While you pay for your abandonment's... Managing world-peoples nonexistent to their needs Only to your likes, your loves, your boss, your greed. At least I, unlike you Embraced my own evilness’s without dimming sight. The captive suddenly gave out a pained cry As he laughing, yanked fiercely on her chains. Yet, like you, even then when losing Staying truly fickle in the end, I, only pretending... While we both truly left searching for new innocents As if vying for better beaches to lie upon. I found my best mine to work in magics And serving dark masters, while you... Waiting for waves that never come, to clean those garbage sands That you helped there in heaping. Thus, did you live... only through your toil, paying oppressive debts That you yourself dared mount... Incurred through your own, personal, unholy free choices Within false presences, wishing more visibility than ever deserved. Know well, no vote was cast for you No confession made, no medal No honor bestowed… Other than, maybe fulfilling a dog’s request; A weaker minion needing loving attention Even if, from other barking slaves. Did even your wife truly love you Your children respect your being... Did your friends stand by you Or just remain there for the good times… Making light use of the word ‘friend’ In fake smiles, and weak handshakes on call Showing only acquaintance Reluctantly, for what it truly is? Ethereal, part of a joined game of feigned royalty Teetering on shared collusions, over the deep depths of Hell below. Old man, known is your majestic tenure through our past wars Lustful times, lost jobs, depression, and hungry years shared Death surely must have visited your door more than once To so see that scowl and shifty eyes That glare out into our bright world… After a night of flooding tears. With understanding compassion, talk, I have a moment... Then I can most gladly move on to better times. Did I say tee time, or tea time, or ‘Be for Me’ time? Pardon the chuckling, matters not. I wish to give this day freely chosen To place kind pity, on one so poor as you… To show my own good worth And staunch compassion; See, I am a lving Soul too As with any, seeking benefit. So tell me what wise lessons I may learn from you So that when I hear, ‘Let Elders speak’... I can proudly stand the stage too In loud laughing, friendly, banterings Regaling those so bold, as to hold steady belief There is wisdom found hiding in your care... Understandings... as Values to remember To learn and grow within… So that we too become... not as you. For other’s wisdom… thankfully, was very well deserved Which is so much more, than you can ever give… Meaning, fat chance... will your door ever lead to ours. Still… speak if you can I freely give you worthy listen Such collateral damage must be worth something in time… Though now gated in shadows, finding you here. ____________________*__________________ Facing a possible reprieve The shade of the past Dread Emperor drew himself together to speak As the very most Ancient of Days, Gatherer of Souls Now hidden, too stayed silently close, to listen. Both smiling, each with a different intent While the chained girl sat down, glad for the rest. As the crows returned, silently filling a nearby dead tree’s branch With even the waters stilled, while the Deep... listened. Eslavia Valoriou Duetsoksky’n, past Emperor of the Dread Feeling potential reprieve of some kind… Composed himself, straightened up And in a crusty old, crackling voice began to speak. [to be continued]