CliffSongs

  Weapons for the Bold   Weapons of the Old Houses languish, Awaiting their time. Walled away in timeless chambers, Hidden from the unwary, Denied to the unworthy, Arms meant for the bold hand, More for the bolder heart. Forged in the Fires of Anguish, Not steel, Not bronze or even gold, Knife and spear and sword and shield, Fired strange and wondrous, And deadly when wielded by the just. Long ages kept, Still untouched by tarnish or decay, Unlocked at need for the last defense, When all other armament fails, And need is dire. For a foe yet lurks unchallenged – A monster tearing at courage and trust, A brute savaging empathy and ethos, Leaving in its wake rot and weak wills. Still it hides, Wearing the face of tyrants and bullies, Of corrupted officials, And gathering sycophants and quislings To do its bidding, Until it may declare itself in the light of day. Then will the latent spaces open, Then will the relics sh...

  Hope in the Dark   It is not enough to speak of hope, Impalpable and distant often… Hope is initiated by action, Be it small, Be it unglamorous. Hope is transfused through devotion, Through adherence to a just cause, Through empathy and a kind smile. One must apply that hope: One must be that hope. Ruthless resolve is called for, And a dedication to decency. Hope may cut through bleak times, Hope may suffer through the gloom, Hope is the knowledge that the dark Always gives way to day, That the night is punctuated by the stars, And that the moon returns to her fullness always, And the patient one will see her again. Hope is not blind obedience to fantasy, But is the flower lit by a single ray of truth, A fact piercing the fog of desperation, A handhold at the precipice unlooked for, Yet present all the while, One only need widen the gaze, To see that the clouds end at the horizon, And know that all storms pass in time. ...

  Spell Check   Brash moves in the public eye. Rash moves all undisguised. Ass moves based on old lies. Suckers are born every minute, Some believe they can still win it.   All this fraud is in plain sight, Unless the news refuse to light. Disaster no longer a “might”, Are we left to swallow spite? Criminals infest the towers, Indiscrete, they flex their powers. Time is short, this is their hour, Your checks and balances they scour.   Draining even those called friends, Impudently serving their own ends. Severing ties with no thought to mend. Daily they tally the score, All they have and wanting more. Ignoring any uproar, Nakedly grifting galore.   Validity is of no concern: Abandon all, let them burn. Nimbly fascinate then spurn. Imitate what’s deemed lofty, Trashy copies always off-key. Yearning always, always faulty.   How long can they rob the coffers? Unreliably still making offers, Bu...

  Midnight Pockets   What dark enclave meets? Gathered for unholy chore. What misdeeds performed here? They leave their souls at the door.   What sigil marks them? What profane stain is scored? They vote from their purses, Greed is given the floor.   Mammon wakes them, Mammon stakes them, Mammon breaks them, Mammon takes them.   Guarded whispers, winking eyes, Craving leaks from every pore. Their every want now revealed, To whom is their fealty swore?   Mammon shakes them, Mammon makes them, Mammon breaks them, Mammon takes them. Cash spilling out from the bedroom drawer, Accounts sky-high and set to soar, Having it all and wanting more, Honest men disappear in vapor.   Witching hour vote done, Choices counted and paid for. Crooked smile on demon’s son, Knowing what is next in store…   Mammon wakes them, Mammon stakes them, Mammon breaks them, Mammon takes them.  ...

  Relics Remix   Relics stolen from unspeakable eons, Misunderstood, Misrepresented, Misused. Curated control. Marvels of unadmitted civilization, Mysteries adorned in ritual, Explanation buried beneath conceived canon, Manuscripts long tainted, Mistakes made in millennia, Necessitating mandate, Guilts absolved in the text. Hear the holy men declare themselves! There is no doubt of them, Given the endless repetition… Miracles long past lose their potency, Though reaffirmed often in blood. Ancient words ring hollow Until twisted properly, Revealing new truths, Born from greed, And justified with slaughter. Now are the relics repurposed, Repolished, Held aloft for new reverence, And a better violence. Let the credos ring out! Let us misinterpret the scrolls In our own image! For bloodletting is sacred, If one reads between the lines. Therefore, let us choose carefully, And reimagine all To suit our present nee...

  A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT   Dear U.S. citizens, Your residency retention tax is due. Payment must be immediate. Cryptocurrency is preferred for tax purposes, And may be eligible for a discounted rate, If and when we feel like it.   Please see attached Dermahue™ chart for your rate. Remember: tanning is no excuse!   This administration would once again like to congratulate Last month’s winners of the Produce Lottery – It is understood that the tomatoes Weren’t as overripe as in the previous drawings. Congratulations!   Be advised that the Produce Lottery Is suspended Until such time as The labor camps are restocked With fresh “voluntary” homeless, And the remaining political agitators.   Citizens, The rumors of a deadly strain of measles Continue to be false! The cities of Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, and Boston are fine! All should be back online shortly, And as vigorous ...

  AI Man   The AI man followed me shopping When I went out to buy some bread. I asked him what his name was, “Ubiquitous”, was what he said. The AI man followed me home, Followed right into bed. I asked him what he was doing, “Have a nice day.” was what he said. The AI man was there in the morning, When I first lifted my head. I asked where he came from, “Have you bought product?” was what he said. The AI man was at the restaurant, I asked if he wished to be fed. He looked past the wait staff, “Try the roast beef.” was what he said. The AI man trailed me to the ATM, But I went inside instead. I was making a small deposit, “Try the fried crypto.” he said. The AI man was the polling place, He had arrived ahead. He told me not to bother, “I made your choice for you.” he said. The AI man follows me everywhere now, No matter how far I’ve fled. Why is he into everything now? “Do not look behind the curtain.” he’s said. ...

  Sightseers   Lunatic fanatics, The sacred insane… Dreaming their pictures, Awake they remain. Raving prophetic, Existing arcane. Do we cure their aesthetic – Or attend their refrain?   Maniac reader, Soothsayer and seer – Occupying worlds, Misunderstood here. Clairvoyant divine, In unearthly frontier, Do we evade their madness, Should we not lend an ear?   Worlds within the world: Some are allowed to see, Time enfolded into time, So many whens they must be. Voices beyond the curtain call, Or beneath unseen canopy. Voices madmen enthrall, Now burdened with prophecy.   Oracle absurd, The auger unsound, Forecaster irrational, Or predictor profound? Sorcerer crazed, Intrusive thought spellbound, Do we medicate them silent, Do we search for common ground?   Worlds within the world: Some are allowed to see, Time enfolded into time, So many whens they must be. Voices beyond the c...

  Midworld   In the heavens above the silent stars sway, But are brushed aside to make way for day. In the heavens above the silent stars play, And here we are earthbound, for now we will stay.   On the underground below, the whole earth does weigh, Some say that death is its only gateway, In the underground below, does evil hold sway? Perhaps we will find out and meet there one day.   Midworld we live on, But understand not, Though we try, Oh, how we try. Midworld we live on, Other realms are not given, Though we may not fathom why.   Is the dreamworld a real world, is sleep a walkway? Or is it illusion, does it secrets betray? Are daydreams false visions, no fruition dismay, Are memories old worlds that slowly decay?   Should we hang on in this world, our death to delay? Is time the great reaper, and are we its prey? When we finally pass on, are we led away? Do we find new existence, ascend some stai...

  Spinners   We are spun on solid ground, Set on this whirling world we’re found. Giddy thoughts and feelings abound, Through this dizzy dance we pound.   Fixed we are in the eternal spin, We can’t get back to where we’ve been. We missed something, but I don’t know when – Take us back to the beginning again.   What secrets told by whistling gale? What might be read in starry trail? Was something said, when did we fail? Through time we’re sped, and on we sail.   Fixed we are in the eternal spin, We can’t get back to where we’ve been. We missed something, but I don’t know when – Take us back to the beginning again.   Twisted, shifted, Lightyears drifted. Will our dizzy Ever be lifted? Spun and spun, Thoughts overdone. Is there respite? Maybe none. Dizzy, daft, deluded, Are we alone? Is that concluded? Are we purposely excluded?  Revolutions breakneck pace, Our speeded gyrations race. T...

  Silent Sky   Dark reaches above, empty and cold, Therein lie stories as yet untold. Mysteries still to be unscrolled, Answers too deep still to behold.   Are there songs sung by distant stars? Tales wrung from galactic memoir? Can we learn from such repertoire? Will we ever make it so far?   Do we hear, do they call? Do we fear, will we fall? Are they near come nightfall? I am no seer, no not at all.   From ought returning to nothing: What is existence offering? Lessons told beyond hearing – What from chaos can we wring?   What do we know of living? Striving, fighting and dying. This life is more than just some fling: Happiness can come with a sting.   Do we hear, is there no call? Do we fear, will we fall? Are we near some nightfall? I am no seer, no not at all.   Ear to ground, I gaze around, Still no sound, And nothing found.   Are we tormented by silent sky? Wha...

  Speed of Blight   What have we done with our curious mind? Machine metal madness so unrefined. Harder and faster – we are so inclined, We see our disaster when looking behind.   Digging for answers, increasing the pace: Leaving   detritus all over the place. In arrogant pride forgetting our grace, With ourselves we collide, instead of embrace.   Sought information, The final clue. Investigation, Suspicious brew. No hesitation, Motor on through. The devastation, Hindsight review.   The clanking and groaning of a race that’s gone mad. The lessened bemoaning of beauty once had. A noble pursuit gone militant bad, Industry jackboot wears the earth all unclad.   Sought information, The final clue. Investigation, Suspicious brew. No hesitation, Motor on through. The devastation, Hindsight review.   What have we done? Obscured the sun. Wisdom outrun, Are we already undone? ...

  Gateways   Cares and problems too entwined, Aspirations misaligned. Have you stress and worry enshrined? What weights can you leave behind?   Look at you all distraught, Leave your troubles all unsought, Hurts of spirit tie you in knots, What dreams in youth have you forgot?   In the deep dark of lighted day, How pleasant to visit the mind at play. How do you lead yourself astray? Which dream will wander you away? The mind itself is a gateway – How long do you intend to stay? In the deep dark of lighted day, Which dream will wander you away?   Will you leave your judgement distressed? Or leave your psyche unaddressed? Why this imagination arrest? Sometimes the head needs the weird expressed.   In the deep dark of lighted day, How pleasant to visit the mind at play. How do you lead yourself astray? Which dream will wander you away? How long do you intend to stay? The mind itself is a gateway – ...

  Perpetual Moment   Some people living under strain Some people bringing their own rain. Building pressure never drained, Leaving moments without a gain…   The clouds that whisper in your mind: Intrusively thinking unkind. You cannot always stay this blind, Perpetual moment left behind…   Perpetual moment. Worries become impotent. Unfocus all the intent, Let the darkness fade away, A moment comes but will it stay, The universe in grand ballet: Perpetual moment.   Worlds forever that can renew, Worlds forever wait in queue. Worlds inside you wish you knew, Perpetual moment guides you through…   Perpetual moment. Worries become impotent. Unfocus all the intent, Let the darkness fade away, A moment comes but will it stay, The universe in grand ballet: Perpetual moment.   If time is now then time is all, A moment you can let enthrall. Philosophy is no catchall, Remember that you are j...

  In the Water   An undercurrent, a change in the air, No more complaining, bring it to them there. Lying recurrent, unlegal heir, Injustice staining, no more will we bear.   Blood in the water, poets in the street. Mr. Big in the corner feeling the heat. Led to the slaughter, no easy meat – Blood in the water, get on your feet.   Overrun parlor, chairs all askew, Cooking up poison, lost in the stew. Illiterate holler, drunk on the brew, Costing them poise and coming unglued.   Blood in the water, people taking the streets. Mr. Big giving orders, all indiscrete. Documents all reordered, snarling deceit, Blood in the water, keep on your feet.   No more hypnotize trance, No more tales can they advance. No more ill circumstance, We want an even score, this is our chance.   Blood in the water, get out in the streets! Mr. Big in disorder, he can’t compete. This time’s made to order, throw off the dea...

  Dreamcircle   A one day journey you take through the haze, A seldom truth approaches through the daze. A passing glimpse, a corner of your gaze, Floats on by, leaves you in the maze.   Now is your sensibility bent, How you wonder where reality went. Tripping and falling through perceptions door: This isn’t the where you are anymore.   Minded carpet rides through the twilight, Sister Moon comes to speak of the night. The singing stars make sure you get it right, You are minutes yet into the flight.   What is your sensibility sent? Is this where reality went? Why is credibility so loosely clenched? How is the Allthings that you sensed?   Mountain vision, morning dew, What fruition, a wind that blew. Indecision – nothing new, Dream position, wisdoms pew. The dream is over, the dance is done, Breathe in the clover, you feel the sun. Welcome back, another glazey day, You may still find colors in the gra...

  Torment Consent   Striking swiftly from the outside, Restraint from steady hand wrested and pried, Horror laughing while ill news betides: The marching madness that no longer hides.   The dull acceptance, the bended knee, The fading reluctance for all to see. The base discordance: that is the key, No counter-performance; tacit agree.   Harsh undercurrent Roils and churns. It’s waited long, It takes its turn. Claiming all It’s never earned – Now it smolders, Soon it burns.   The sickly praising: craven applied. Wrong rearranging taken in stride. Bad paraphrasing: unwilling bride, When all is blazing, who steps aside?   Harsh undercurrent Roils and churns. It’s waited long, It takes its turn. Claiming all It’s never earned – Now it smolders, Soon it burns.   Who put us on this course we’ve plied? A fall that’s sold as if a ride. How much farther can we slide? What resistance ha...

  The Dozen Faces   They all think they know the who that you are. But you slink, you view them from afar. The games you play, the flippant chases, No wonder you need a dozen faces…   A dozen faces waiting by the door, Who are they all, Who do you wear them for? A dozen faces, None of them the same, One wonders which of them Is really to blame.   Playact agenda, the empty score, What you catch you don’t need anymore. You hide it well, they don’t see what’s in store: Unneeded faces fall to the floor.   A dozen faces - do you need some more? So many faces To hide the core. A dozen faces, Needed to play your game, Even that many Cannot hide the shame.   Life moves on, subjected to time, You’re too invested in meaningless crime. Those dozen faces you’ve kept in reserve, They’re empty spaces and what you deserve.   A dozen faces; it’s such a chore, To keep them straight, What do you need ...