CliffSongs

  Troubadour   He could smell it, Troubadour that he was, Feather in his hat, Harp at his back. He sensed an ill, A tribulation, A wrongness that had settled, And the village distant was imperiled dire.   He was only a troubadour, A traveler and a singer, A player and a tramp, His continued existence Relying solely on goodwill earned From the tales he could tell, The song that he knew, And the instruments of his trade.   In the village ahead he knew, He would sing again.   The ravage had not lain long on the hamlet, Nor had its grotesqueries found all as yet, But it was swift-moving, And indiscriminate. The lone figure approaching Would be warned off by sign, If he could read, By arrow if he could not.   The troubadour hardly glanced at the posting: Too like others he had seen, Too often that were writ. The first arrow passed close, The next would require a keen aim, If it were not me...

  Ritual   The rhyme is uttered out of turn, The cadence cold and spoken stern. A rite fraught with an ill intent, A ritual meant to torment. An obsession never earned, Wishes whispered in nocturn. Mere fancy when night holds sway, Delusion in the light of day. Curses spoke in dark of moon, Repeated now in eldritch tune. Misfortune cast meant to destroy, Symbols in arcane employ. Hieroglyph and ancient rune, Books and scrolls and walls festoon. Pages have been read and turned, Herbs that have been crushed and burned. Figures carved and subtly named, Creatures caught and foully framed. Uncanny motions, secret dance, Bizarre potions, fevered trance, Seize the night, oppose mischance, Nothing left to circumstance! Light is dawning, rite complete, He has no plans the sun to greet. Night has waned, and day begin, This time has passed fortune to spin. Time to rest, gain strength and then…   Tomorrow he will try again. ...

  Top Dogs   Who puts themselves above us, Or at least out of reach? Who delivers potent lessons, But will not practice what they preach? Who demands your willing sacrifice, That they covertly leech? Listen for the victim’s voice, That from on high does screech.   How long must you climb To where the depths of sin are found? How low must you go To where you are duly crowned? How high do you fly Before you run aground? Oh, it’s a long way down to Where the men at the top are found.   These masters and commanders Expect the most of you. The more that you accomplish, The less that they must do. They move on down the line, While you wait in the queue, And follow all the laws they give you, The ones that they eschew.   How long must they climb To where the depths of sin are found? How low must they go To where they are duly crowned? How high do they fly Before they run aground? Yes, it’s a long way...

  Test   Onto this plane he has been set, In this world but the guest. Many days still lie ahead, Before he takes his rest. Naked does he enter, And we hope for the best. Markedly is he watched, Many is the test.   Sent out into the world, There is attempt to advise it: “Reality is simple, One only has survive it.”   In this existence we are set, In this life we but guests. Many days will lie ahead Before we take our rest. Naked are we sent out, And we expect the best. Trials beset our watch, Many is the test.   Unlearned step into the world, A word spoken in private: “Reality is ample, It is up to you to thrive it.”   We find ourselves in this place set, Remember we are guests. Days and days are still ahead, Before we come to rest. Naked were we sent out, And we must make the best, Of what is given on our watch, Many is the test.   Unversed we venture in the world, It’s sa...

  The Coffee   They won’t let you Have all the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that you want. I want to have All the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that I want.   Sun’s up! First Cup! Leave me be, don’t interrupt! Big cup! Bottoms up! I need my caffeine hookup!   They won’t let you Have all the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that you want. I want to have All the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that I want.   Drive through, dark brew, Don’t wanna see me cuckoo! Review, maybe two, I have work I must get to!   They won’t let you Have all the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that you want. I want to have All the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee that I want.   Brain chem mayhem, Can’t slow down in front of them. 3 PM, REM, How can I wake up again?   They won’t let you Have all the coffee, All the coffee, All the coffee...

  Marathon   Murder on the mainland, Death in the high seas, Desperate distractions, Expect more of these. Officials in the hot seat, See them fail the test. Shifting blame elsewhere, Doing what they do best.   They carry on with their carrying on, And I can’t get no rest. We’re in some kind of marathon, For god’s sake, Let me catch my breath!   Hey there Mr. Money Man, What did you diddly do? Babies on the island, I’m looking in the Who’s Who. I hear what the survivors say, You don’t come away so clean… Maybe you didn’t, but maybe you did, And maybe it’s Maybelline.   They want us to just move along, Give the thing a rest. It’s like some kind of marathon, And I can’t catch my breath.   No more nights in dirty town, No more getting your dirty on. Maybe you need to go to ground, What goes around comes around. No more attempted land-nabber, No more unasked-for crotch-grabber. No more bl...

  Talisman and Loss   The talismans were scattered, And the world was lost.   It was dark then, Peril leered from every shadow. Creation was in the balance. Eldritch forces sought to wrest control, And failing that, To null it completely. They minded not that they too were of creation, Such was the evil of them.   Forces too there were of Life, They heard the music ‘twixt the worlds, Reveled in those harmonies, Though they be at times powered and violent, Or somber and searching. Equal they were in number and strength to the foe, So war raged ever in the cosmos, And much was lost That could not be made again. Then sought they aid from other creatures, With other wisdoms, And talismans were made in defense.   The talismans were fashioned, And hope lit hearts that were thought lost.   Smiths there were upon this world, Skilled at handcraft, And easily taught. Eager minds had they, And hunger ...

  New Faces and Old Fiends   Ancient tales confess knowledge of hulking beasts, Of unnatural beings that walked this world, Giants and ogres, Behemoths of violent inclination, Savage worms breathing destruction, The incubus, The succubus, Archfiends gathering souls, Or tricksters craving malicious outcome.   What monsters have we now?   Infernal in deed, Ascending high places, Sullying hallowed space, Gorging on the innocent, Ravaging the earth, Despoiling populations, Desecrating every habitat. Like to man in appearance and habit, They are monsters just the same.   They feed on the dreams of the desperate, But find the nightmare much more sweet, So, in secret conclave, They create the conditions required For horrors in everyday life. They smile in the face of starvation, They dance while bombs fall, They celebrate their savvy safety, While drunk on the tears of survivors.   They glorify th...