In the beginning there was Shadow.
It was still, dark and obscure.
From Shadow sprouted desire;
the desire was for recognition.
Desire matured into ambition;
ambition had great strength.
Strength sustained Shadow,
and Shadow could act.
Shadow first created air;
then it made water and land;
then an assortment of life forms,
to govern each stratum.
Shadow sowed seeds,
seeds of desire, in all creatures;
desire to sustain, to procreate,
and to appreciate Shadow.
Then they acted, driven by desire.
Actions brought about effects;
effects transpired in pairs.
One of each pair fulfilled desire,
and the creatures called it Good;
The other defeated desire,
and the creatures called it Bad.
The kingdom was hence divided!
Good was rewarding; it was adored.
Bad, disappointing, was unwelcome.
And then a new ambition was born:
To acquire all that was good, and
to ward off all that was bad.
The renewed ambition had great strength;
Lust and fear shaped that strength.
And the creatures proceeded to slay!
And so it is that the very monarch,
the undeniable supreme veracity,
concealed by greed, fear and pride,
still remains dark and obscure.
Flanked by the twin kingdoms,
Shadow expands into a cavity;
into an endless chasm that
creates, sustains and consumes.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Chaper 2: Combat
The dome is all set;
the runners are on track.
The race is underway;
there is no looking back!
There’s an endless chasm yawning at them;
a callous reality towing them in!
Cannons rumble and hurl,
with relentless gravity!
Moral fiber under attack,
in a bottomless cavity!
Pennants of despair unfurl;
hearts lie shattered in shreds!
Breathless, the runners fall
at the finishing line!
At the portico of death,
the ultimate umpire looms...
...It’s a merciless void;
it’s the endless chasm!
the runners are on track.
The race is underway;
there is no looking back!
There’s an endless chasm yawning at them;
a callous reality towing them in!
Cannons rumble and hurl,
with relentless gravity!
Moral fiber under attack,
in a bottomless cavity!
Pennants of despair unfurl;
hearts lie shattered in shreds!
Breathless, the runners fall
at the finishing line!
At the portico of death,
the ultimate umpire looms...
...It’s a merciless void;
it’s the endless chasm!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Chapter 3: Attempt
Here are the signs of a dying age,
the clock chiming down to the last stage;
here are the grounds for the stupid rage,
ingeniously crafted on the crimson page!
Too very brainy, too very sharp.
Too many people played the same harp.
And, in the consequent conclusive din,
they hoped to obscure all their sin!
Concealing awareness from light,
trying to escape from its plight;
simply forgetting what is right,
they were all ready for the flight!
Decapitated, they walked the land,
with the severed bit in their hand;
in the other fist, a brush of logic.
That, they thought, would work the trick!
Well, they tried, but little did they know
that awareness could hide but only in Shadow.
And that once mature, an icy hand it would sway,
that none, not any one, could ever wish away!
the clock chiming down to the last stage;
here are the grounds for the stupid rage,
ingeniously crafted on the crimson page!
Too very brainy, too very sharp.
Too many people played the same harp.
And, in the consequent conclusive din,
they hoped to obscure all their sin!
Concealing awareness from light,
trying to escape from its plight;
simply forgetting what is right,
they were all ready for the flight!
Decapitated, they walked the land,
with the severed bit in their hand;
in the other fist, a brush of logic.
That, they thought, would work the trick!
Well, they tried, but little did they know
that awareness could hide but only in Shadow.
And that once mature, an icy hand it would sway,
that none, not any one, could ever wish away!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Chapter 4: Defeat
Vibrant, a flower came alive;
a breeze of delightful scent.
With a flood of sparkling wine,
they were bathed in ecstasy!
Rejoicing thus, the mortals
misconstrued the Chasm;
judging the twin kingdoms apart,
they reveled in vanity!
“The sun has risen for us,” they yelled,
“Beneath our feet, Shadow is bent!”
“Dance not,” said the scholar,
“The flower is now not long to be!”
The flower smiled, but only once;
a parting gift for all of them!
The breeze carried the scent away,
leaving them a waterless sea!
(Just one look at the waterless sea
has taken the wind out of their sails!
Who could tell how they would be
if they looked straight into your heart!)
a breeze of delightful scent.
With a flood of sparkling wine,
they were bathed in ecstasy!
Rejoicing thus, the mortals
misconstrued the Chasm;
judging the twin kingdoms apart,
they reveled in vanity!
“The sun has risen for us,” they yelled,
“Beneath our feet, Shadow is bent!”
“Dance not,” said the scholar,
“The flower is now not long to be!”
The flower smiled, but only once;
a parting gift for all of them!
The breeze carried the scent away,
leaving them a waterless sea!
(Just one look at the waterless sea
has taken the wind out of their sails!
Who could tell how they would be
if they looked straight into your heart!)
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Chapter 5: Abrasion
Grinding down, grinding down…!
Values, possessed, are grinding them down;
dreadful shackles are binding them down.
Judgment has been sentenced until death,
to be tormented by a spiteful, masked clown!
Avarice and fright are grinding them down;
black and white, binding them down.
Enticing marvels have been put on offer,
in return for some sanity, and for a frown!
Excessive brightness is grinding them down;
miracle workers are binding them down.
And now that Shadow has been put to shame,
the highway to the chasm is grinding down!
Values, possessed, are grinding them down;
dreadful shackles are binding them down.
Judgment has been sentenced until death,
to be tormented by a spiteful, masked clown!
Avarice and fright are grinding them down;
black and white, binding them down.
Enticing marvels have been put on offer,
in return for some sanity, and for a frown!
Excessive brightness is grinding them down;
miracle workers are binding them down.
And now that Shadow has been put to shame,
the highway to the chasm is grinding down!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Chapter 6: Visit
Strangers, strangers, strangers!
Now that I have let them in...
The groom, the bride, Shadow and all,
sitting by my side in the dining hall.
The groom looks short, bereft of his head;
the bride, quite tall, besprinkled with red!
And Shadow devours a nocturnal repast,
quietly voracious until the very last!
“...How may I help you?”, I ask the bride.
“Would you,” she pleads, “release and guide,
my husband’s head from Shadow’s ride?”
“Walk towards the candle, bright,
and Shadow will never dare to fight;
from behind, it cannot strike you right!”
Upon that, she turns him, the woman, tall,
to face the only candle in the hall.
The head springs back, like a bouncing ball!
And where I stand, behind the groom,
arrogantly swelling in my own dining room,
dark Shadow strikes and I fall to doom!
Strangers, strangers, strangers!
Would you kindly let us in...?
Now that I have let them in...
The groom, the bride, Shadow and all,
sitting by my side in the dining hall.
The groom looks short, bereft of his head;
the bride, quite tall, besprinkled with red!
And Shadow devours a nocturnal repast,
quietly voracious until the very last!
“...How may I help you?”, I ask the bride.
“Would you,” she pleads, “release and guide,
my husband’s head from Shadow’s ride?”
“Walk towards the candle, bright,
and Shadow will never dare to fight;
from behind, it cannot strike you right!”
Upon that, she turns him, the woman, tall,
to face the only candle in the hall.
The head springs back, like a bouncing ball!
And where I stand, behind the groom,
arrogantly swelling in my own dining room,
dark Shadow strikes and I fall to doom!
Strangers, strangers, strangers!
Would you kindly let us in...?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Chapter 7: Insight
Shine, ageless candle, shine!
For, that, it seems, is your destiny.
Flush ablaze! Beware, for,
in your own light, you shall see!
All the signs foreshadowed
by the prophets have come to pass:
the sun has gone blind, and
the moon rages red in the skies!
Dying mothers mournfully watch,
as babies are born without a head!
Children of darkness have a good time,
as brothers kill for a piece of bread!
Shine, ageless candle, shine!
For, now the world has come of age.
Flush ablaze! Explode!
Let there be light upon the stage!
For, that, it seems, is your destiny.
Flush ablaze! Beware, for,
in your own light, you shall see!
All the signs foreshadowed
by the prophets have come to pass:
the sun has gone blind, and
the moon rages red in the skies!
Dying mothers mournfully watch,
as babies are born without a head!
Children of darkness have a good time,
as brothers kill for a piece of bread!
Shine, ageless candle, shine!
For, now the world has come of age.
Flush ablaze! Explode!
Let there be light upon the stage!
Monday, December 12, 2005
Chapter 8: Appeal
It’s only been a while now
that I was run over by a train.
Give me a little more time
to collect my bits up again.
It’s only been a while now,
and I’m still fighting the pain.
Give me a little more time
to gather my soul up again.
It’s only been a while now,
and I’m sure that I’ll sing again.
Just let me find my voice, and
the rhythm will return in time.
It’s only been a while now;
I’ve forgotten how to smile now.
So give me a little more time,
and maybe a little more time.
It’s only been a while now (It’s only been a while)
that I was run over by a train (I’m still fighting the pain)
I’ve forgotten how to smile now (Forgotten how to smile)
But I’m sure that I’ll sing again (The rhythm will return)
So give me a little more time (Just a little more time)
And maybe a little more time (Yeah, a little more time)
that I was run over by a train.
Give me a little more time
to collect my bits up again.
It’s only been a while now,
and I’m still fighting the pain.
Give me a little more time
to gather my soul up again.
It’s only been a while now,
and I’m sure that I’ll sing again.
Just let me find my voice, and
the rhythm will return in time.
It’s only been a while now;
I’ve forgotten how to smile now.
So give me a little more time,
and maybe a little more time.
It’s only been a while now (It’s only been a while)
that I was run over by a train (I’m still fighting the pain)
I’ve forgotten how to smile now (Forgotten how to smile)
But I’m sure that I’ll sing again (The rhythm will return)
So give me a little more time (Just a little more time)
And maybe a little more time (Yeah, a little more time)
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Chapter 9: Prayer
O, holy one; O, noble one,
emperor of darkness,
show me your face!
Uncertainty, ambiguity;
shrouded in mystery,
Oracle of fright!
Don’t confound me with
dogmas and doctrines.
Lay it bare, as it should be!
I hunger not for your
amazing kingdoms, but I
thirst for the void in between!
O, holy one; O, noble one,
emperor of darkness,
show me the light!
emperor of darkness,
show me your face!
Uncertainty, ambiguity;
shrouded in mystery,
Oracle of fright!
Don’t confound me with
dogmas and doctrines.
Lay it bare, as it should be!
I hunger not for your
amazing kingdoms, but I
thirst for the void in between!
O, holy one; O, noble one,
emperor of darkness,
show me the light!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Chapter 10: Tao
“Waste no faith on strange magic
to set you free from the maze.
You’ll need to calm those ripples,
if you want to see your real face.”
Thus spake the holder of the lamp,
as he drifted across the hoary shores.
How could he know my deepest thoughts;
and how could his lamp not dance to the wind?
I rushed ahead to ask him how, but all
he said was, “Magic? More ripples!”
A tender, spectacular smile,
and the surging waters froze!
With that, the holder was gone, setting
the lamp on the sands; it cast
a mysterious outline behind me.
Was that my new direction…?
to set you free from the maze.
You’ll need to calm those ripples,
if you want to see your real face.”
Thus spake the holder of the lamp,
as he drifted across the hoary shores.
How could he know my deepest thoughts;
and how could his lamp not dance to the wind?
I rushed ahead to ask him how, but all
he said was, “Magic? More ripples!”
A tender, spectacular smile,
and the surging waters froze!
With that, the holder was gone, setting
the lamp on the sands; it cast
a mysterious outline behind me.
Was that my new direction…?
Friday, December 09, 2005
Chapter 11: Sibyl Street
Why not take the sixth avenue...?
The little old man stands at the junction,
trying to get the mystery solved.
Five roads taken, heavy and frozen;
and on the sixth, traffic dissolved!
Mercy be on them who under wicked
spells forsake their true destination;
who halt every mile, lured by a heaven
painted by their own imagination!
Mercy be on them who distrust the map,
and believe not the giver of directions!
The call of the seer echoes unheard.
They doubt all but the fatal illusion!
Blessed are those who take the sixth avenue;
the only way the prophets have evolved!
They can close their eyes and march ahead,
with a nerve of steel and a heart resolved!
Greetings! Shadow has been expecting you. This way, please...
The little old man stands at the junction,
trying to get the mystery solved.
Five roads taken, heavy and frozen;
and on the sixth, traffic dissolved!
Mercy be on them who under wicked
spells forsake their true destination;
who halt every mile, lured by a heaven
painted by their own imagination!
Mercy be on them who distrust the map,
and believe not the giver of directions!
The call of the seer echoes unheard.
They doubt all but the fatal illusion!
Blessed are those who take the sixth avenue;
the only way the prophets have evolved!
They can close their eyes and march ahead,
with a nerve of steel and a heart resolved!
Greetings! Shadow has been expecting you. This way, please...
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Chapter 12: Impetus
Do you dare dust the darkest dungeons;
defy the dreadfully damning draftiness?
Do you dare dive to the depths of despair;
defeat the disheartening, dismal dowdiness?
Soldier, march on!
Unleash the roaring beast!
The scouts have returned
with favorable facts to tell...
“In the beginning there was Shadow.
Craving recognition, it shaped out of itself.
But greed and fear divided its kingdom,
and Shadow was distraught.”
“Flanked by the twin kingdoms,
Shadow expands into a cavity;
into an endless chasm that
creates, sustains and consumes.”
“Waste no faith on strange magic
to set you free from the maze;
you’ll need to calm those ripples,
if you want to see your real face.”
“Blessed are those who take the sixth avenue;
the only way the prophets have evolved!
They can close their eyes and march ahead,
with a nerve of steel and a heart resolved!”
Soldier, march on!
Stop not until you are dead!
In the light of Shadow,
fearless future is easy to find.
defy the dreadfully damning draftiness?
Do you dare dive to the depths of despair;
defeat the disheartening, dismal dowdiness?
Soldier, march on!
Unleash the roaring beast!
The scouts have returned
with favorable facts to tell...
“In the beginning there was Shadow.
Craving recognition, it shaped out of itself.
But greed and fear divided its kingdom,
and Shadow was distraught.”
“Flanked by the twin kingdoms,
Shadow expands into a cavity;
into an endless chasm that
creates, sustains and consumes.”
“Waste no faith on strange magic
to set you free from the maze;
you’ll need to calm those ripples,
if you want to see your real face.”
“Blessed are those who take the sixth avenue;
the only way the prophets have evolved!
They can close their eyes and march ahead,
with a nerve of steel and a heart resolved!”
Soldier, march on!
Stop not until you are dead!
In the light of Shadow,
fearless future is easy to find.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Chapter 13: Compassion
I stand at Heaven's gates.
There’s a queue, and I
have to wait my turn.
I feel the warmth and know
that somewhere, pretty close,
cleansing fires burn.
I look back, and ask myself,
“What have I done to be here;
what brings me to Heaven?
(It can't just be me; no, it can't just be me!)
It has to be somebody I have known;
somebody who showed me how to live;
somebody who wouldn't let me frown!”
As I stand at Heaven's gates,
they call me inside and I
walk into the healing rooms.
I feel the beauty as I see,
in the center, a serene and
compassionate flower blooms.
I look at the flower and ask,
“What have I done to be here;
what brings me to Heaven?
(It can't just be me; No, it can't just be me!)”
The flower smiles at me and says,
“It's somebody who showed you how to love;
somebody who taught you how to smile!”
And now, I know for sure.
I have done little to be here.
So, what brings me to Heaven?
It's not just me; No, it's not just me!
It’s somebody who wouldn't let me drown;
somebody who taught me how to give!
And it certainly is you.
Yes, it certainly is you!
There’s a queue, and I
have to wait my turn.
I feel the warmth and know
that somewhere, pretty close,
cleansing fires burn.
I look back, and ask myself,
“What have I done to be here;
what brings me to Heaven?
(It can't just be me; no, it can't just be me!)
It has to be somebody I have known;
somebody who showed me how to live;
somebody who wouldn't let me frown!”
As I stand at Heaven's gates,
they call me inside and I
walk into the healing rooms.
I feel the beauty as I see,
in the center, a serene and
compassionate flower blooms.
I look at the flower and ask,
“What have I done to be here;
what brings me to Heaven?
(It can't just be me; No, it can't just be me!)”
The flower smiles at me and says,
“It's somebody who showed you how to love;
somebody who taught you how to smile!”
And now, I know for sure.
I have done little to be here.
So, what brings me to Heaven?
It's not just me; No, it's not just me!
It’s somebody who wouldn't let me drown;
somebody who taught me how to give!
And it certainly is you.
Yes, it certainly is you!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Chapter 14: Renunciation
Take it away.
Just take it away from me!
I want absolutely nothing
to do with it any more.
So keep it away from me!
Yes, I’ve fired my share
for quick tempered fools;
it was hardly ever fair,
and I realize it now.
Just take it away from me!
Yes, I’ve taken away
what had never been mine;
they insist that I stay,
but I’m done with it now.
So keep it away from me!
Don’t hand me that gun ever again;
throw it somewhere, away from me!
I don’t hope to cause any more pain.
I’m tired, I’m beat, and I need to rest.
Just take it away from me!
Just take it away from me!
I want absolutely nothing
to do with it any more.
So keep it away from me!
Yes, I’ve fired my share
for quick tempered fools;
it was hardly ever fair,
and I realize it now.
Just take it away from me!
Yes, I’ve taken away
what had never been mine;
they insist that I stay,
but I’m done with it now.
So keep it away from me!
Don’t hand me that gun ever again;
throw it somewhere, away from me!
I don’t hope to cause any more pain.
I’m tired, I’m beat, and I need to rest.
Just take it away from me!
Monday, December 05, 2005
Chapter 15: Chase
What could you do but run like the game,
when the fatal forces came hounding you?
So you ran for dear life;
you thought about the wife,
you thought about the strife,
and you ran!
You had hoped for a way out without shame,
but that was only before they saw you.
In your hand was the knife;
the scarlet fountain was squirting out,
a guilty mountain, you were standing out.
Then you ran!
Why does the world not look the same,
when the brutal sword hangs upon you?
Ageless wisdom dawns on you;
it has always been this way,
you chose to see it another way,
and you ran!
when the fatal forces came hounding you?
So you ran for dear life;
you thought about the wife,
you thought about the strife,
and you ran!
You had hoped for a way out without shame,
but that was only before they saw you.
In your hand was the knife;
the scarlet fountain was squirting out,
a guilty mountain, you were standing out.
Then you ran!
Why does the world not look the same,
when the brutal sword hangs upon you?
Ageless wisdom dawns on you;
it has always been this way,
you chose to see it another way,
and you ran!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Chapter 16: Rebuke
One night at Heaven,
in the last few hours of darkness...
One night at Heaven you will hear
distant melodies; ancient chronicles
from the annals of time.
In the last few hours of darkness,
the young face you see
may not seem your own;
you are the shameless tree
of that very seed sown.
One night at Heaven you will hear
evocative music; ghastly recollections
from a shady history.
In the last few hours of darkness,
when you close your eyes
you will see more faces;
the victims of your lies,
a thousand grimaces.
One night at Heaven you will see
Her face! Your final night at Heaven;
the last few hours of darkness.
in the last few hours of darkness...
One night at Heaven you will hear
distant melodies; ancient chronicles
from the annals of time.
In the last few hours of darkness,
the young face you see
may not seem your own;
you are the shameless tree
of that very seed sown.
One night at Heaven you will hear
evocative music; ghastly recollections
from a shady history.
In the last few hours of darkness,
when you close your eyes
you will see more faces;
the victims of your lies,
a thousand grimaces.
One night at Heaven you will see
Her face! Your final night at Heaven;
the last few hours of darkness.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Chapter 17: Final Feast
What then, has ever transpired
that was not driven by desire?
What desire was born without fear;
and what fear has not consumed?
What values have not been questioned
by a people who sought the goal?
What path have they not traversed;
what treasures have they not exhumed?
What forces have ever been spared
to smother the probing minds?
What miracle has not been produced;
what fear has not been induced?
What rhyme has ever been transcribed
that was not shrouded in mystery?
What truth not concealed by the victor?
And what tales are not being sold?
What then, has ever transpired
that was not driven by desire?
What desire was born without fear;
and what Truth has fear not consumed?
that was not driven by desire?
What desire was born without fear;
and what fear has not consumed?
What values have not been questioned
by a people who sought the goal?
What path have they not traversed;
what treasures have they not exhumed?
What forces have ever been spared
to smother the probing minds?
What miracle has not been produced;
what fear has not been induced?
What rhyme has ever been transcribed
that was not shrouded in mystery?
What truth not concealed by the victor?
And what tales are not being sold?
What then, has ever transpired
that was not driven by desire?
What desire was born without fear;
and what Truth has fear not consumed?
Friday, December 02, 2005
Chapter 18: Androgynous
You are chosen to bear witness tonight,
to the forgotten ancient Chasmic lore.
Fighting will only make it worse.
Just relax and let it happen.
Contained by murky ocean tides lie
twin isles, by ignorance estranged.
Drift along; let the waves carry you away.
Just relax and let it happen.
They fall and rise; they wane and wax;
“Remember…” they swing, left and right.
They retell of appalling chronicles.
Just relax and let it happen.
You will see Shadow and its dance.
You will hear how lies fractured reality.
The isles of Nadir and Zenith are but
splinters of the one pregnant silence.
If you fight the ocean, you will not be.
If you fear the chasm, you will not see.
You are chosen to bear witness tonight.
Just relax and let it happen.
to the forgotten ancient Chasmic lore.
Fighting will only make it worse.
Just relax and let it happen.
Contained by murky ocean tides lie
twin isles, by ignorance estranged.
Drift along; let the waves carry you away.
Just relax and let it happen.
They fall and rise; they wane and wax;
“Remember…” they swing, left and right.
They retell of appalling chronicles.
Just relax and let it happen.
You will see Shadow and its dance.
You will hear how lies fractured reality.
The isles of Nadir and Zenith are but
splinters of the one pregnant silence.
If you fight the ocean, you will not be.
If you fear the chasm, you will not see.
You are chosen to bear witness tonight.
Just relax and let it happen.
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