I was always to you the blinded fool that I appeared to be, hoisting up, I thought a winner's cup, in self deluded victory. Unheard laughter, lost messenger of mockery's cynical mirth; a phantom of one sound necessity drowned since my birth. No hollowed memory or land mark in time do I grant claim, to conception's day you began to play the afflicted games. Your timeless white noise floating a steady chill to the weak, hunting innocence in an old warped edition of Hide and Seek. Two black hearts mirrored duplicitious art seen only at night, Cleverly stepping from the veiled darkness to hide in the light. Upturned eyes witnessed your hidden guise of hypocrisy, learning silence's safety while still standing below the knee. Youth's duty was layering beauty in globes for my eyes to see, as no consent for your menacing intent to rot the spirit in me. My crystal balls lit the dark halls your shadows dug in my soul, while you marked these tokens of life unbroken by your control. Sorely amiss living in ignorant bliss to vices words did conceal, you slyly found unmapped ground where laid my Achilles Heal. For who I loved newly from above malice now secretly battered, and in one breath of grim knowledge my prismatic world...shattered Spheres crushed and scattered are now gathered into new formed art, despite damage you so well managed by the hammer you call a heart. No longer able to gaze at my radiant maze built from triumphant hope, I squint at the sorrowed mass of fragmented glass in a kaleidoscope. Now by shake, twist and turn, I see cracked bits of my past construction, Forced to concede I did not take heed to relentless pursuit of destruction. The ultimate plight of evil's gluttonous appetite is what you failed to do; three shades of gray tint my fractured world-but I never turned into you. ******************************************************************************* For btm1228 (who had nothing to do with the dark nature of this piece) - Because of you I have a towel to dab my brow with as I toil with my shovel. Your few words of encouragment carry quite a nudge. ******************************************************************************* Since I might not be posting for a while I would like to say a few words of thanks to the following: To NothingNess, the keeper to part of my secrets, who coaxed me into turning the key I held in my hand. I am eternally grateful. To summer1412, who has the largest of young hearts, who gives me hope for the future in more ways than one, and means more than she knows. To leanndra, who has a special nature that has been inspirational to me. And, of course, to my husband who has allowed me to neglect my duties for the sake of my self expression. Life is brighter today because of your efforts. Now, life moves in a better direction. *******************************************************************************