Visigoths at the gates Unjustly accused A man stands in the face of his own actions Guilty Guilty Guilty And what can he say in his own defense? " Where were you when I needed you? A jackhammer heartbeat away from my savior a deathrow inmate's 11th hour pardon I thrust my conscience away like chains I take what is mine and it's ALL mine One for you Two for me One for you Three for me None for you ALL for me And I hunger, for what is not mine I can see you and what you do I can listen to your thoughts jilter (out of kilter) A transparent house, all thoughts opaque: I will take your girl, I will marry your daughter And what can you do in the face of my hunger? Cast your eyes to the curb As I cast my long shadow over all that is yours?" This is what he says. Forever altered by the crimes against compassion Building walls to separate the Zionists and Hamas the Irish from the English You from Me I see the hungry ghost spirit my love away a cast iron mask to disguise his rage a bulletproof vest to protect his heart from breaking He's a child, but denies it frozen at the age of his mother's swinging death His father's hatred and still I doubt I question his hatred What scant illusion I have cast to clothe him in Mordor's grasp Like a flickering film, blink too often and all you see is...nothing the illusion is breaking like a young man's heart like a young woman's mind like an older man's wisdom broken over questions too large for answers He burns for a woman made of tempered steel and lace a child's heart and a grownup's face he burns his candle at both ends forsaking lovers and old friends he burns for a love that is returned in spades but wants a word that wakes the dead, that never fades a confirmation of his obsession a confirmation, a life's lesson Words cast to the winds and if spoken she would have sinned against her heart, her heart that's broken over a siblings clumsy hands, and a love that's token a fake, a sham, an illusionists fist called love and more, hatred in it's palm, anger as it's gift Words that disconnect and fuse: I plus Love plus You And what makes you different? Just because your love kills you? What if it kills her? Is your love so strong that if necessary you would walk away from her life? or would you take it as your own? I give up asking questions and stand guard at heaven's swinging gates, struck open for the hordes, the marauding motorcycle gangs Visigoths and Khans I am the lone defender of childhood dreams and happiness praying for a wizard's extended hand to lay waste against that which I cannot defend that which I cannot hold.