The Dark Verse

The playground of sympathetic spirits—listen to their words:

Be wise with all endeavors of the heart. Stand firmly against the unyielding allure of the persuasive dawn. With the stone-written beliefs of your faith, you cannot fail. And if you have none, then you have not sought deep enough into the haunting core of your existence; for wisdom starts with faith—faith in something, anything. Do not mock the unknown, for it is what births each new death of what once was. Without it, meaning is but the forsaken ghoul’s curse.

In judgments, opinions, and all ceremonies of voice, begin first with understanding: the listening and the interpretation. Only then can insight be heir in the acts of tongue. Conjure respect as well, even though it is not given in return. Demeanor alone can change the fate of the ages and rule the armies of darkness.

If ever the battle of heart and mind ensues, then go with the first and be forever steadfast.

Forget us not, our dreams lie with you.

 Heartist Carnival: Remnant IV [3:29m]: Download

Everyone loves gifts, but the gift in this story is quite unusual. Some will be disgusted by it, some will be confused by it, and some might understand and even appreciate it—maybe.

Excerpt:

As soon as I shouted into the vicinity of my home, the outlandish noises in the kitchen ceased. It was nothing more than the slight scuffle of feet, but it was disturbing beyond the sudden sinking of my heart. My breath became short and my hands trembled. I feared that whatever had made the sound had gone into hiding in the negative spaces of my home, and, in keeping that fear manageable, I hoped it would stay hidden; I had no desire to find it and only wished it to be intelligent enough to leave before I could ever arrive upon it with my investigating eyes.

When I made my way in silence toward the direction of the disturbance, I listened for even the faintest of sounds—the smallest of breaths—but there was nothing. And when I made the turn into the kitchen, I found no stranger or animal but a piece of fabric that looked like it was nothing more than the scrap of some abandoned craft. The material of intrusion lay on the floor about the size of a folded napkin. An earthly color of yellow defined its appearance while several small white threads protruded from all of its sides where it appeared to have once been joined to a larger entity.

 4: Gift Of The Crossroads [18:03m]: Download

The playground of sympathetic spirits—listen to their words:

VERSE I

Give of your heart
To the solstice of your soul,
When the goblins dance
And sing in soothing seething.

Leave for the dead
All of withered wonders past
While you tread through the black
with wings of retribution.

CHORUS

Build a castle high
On rock and broken bones;
Shelter for the wise.

Train the restless soil
With faith and hallowed prayers;
Raise it from the grave.

VERSE II

One last romance
For the lonely of a world
Where fire rests in air
And burning is traditional

Wounds to the sky,
Do you ever wonder why
There are nightmare things
That have unholy power?

CHORUS

Build a castle high
On rock and broken bones;
Shelter for the wise.

Train the restless soil
With faith and hallowed prayers;
Raise it from the grave.

Forget us not, our dreams lie with you.

 Heartist Carnival: Remnant III [3:49m]: Download