BrokenEchoes

  We field commanders are due at to meet in one month’s time There is a summit to share news, wins and losses To form and adjust strategies I have little to report My small, distant land is poor Our warriors are weak or old or both We don’t have the helms, swords, or shields we need We don’t have the skills to craft them, or gold to buy them. These are strong loyal men Who will defend this land to their last breath But many have never held a weapon And none have been trained I myself am a cook I’m meant to feed men, not lead them I fell into this commander role  At the death of my predecessor I’ve been stumbling ever since I am the commander of these troops I put on a face of calm strength Of confidence and impending victory At the summit, I am the least of many The commander of a tiny remote territory Ignored or forgotten Along with my homeland Along with my people I am failing them I don’t have the skills or knowledge I need There is no one to pass this burden to We will los...

  A mountain, tall and strong Rises up between where I am now And where I need to be That is OK. I have climbed mountains before I’ll climb this one too I won’t be stopped I will get there from here I’ve come too far,  Crossed too many rivers, Survived too many battles, Endured too many miles To fail here I yearn to reach my destination For this long terrible journey to be complete I hope I don’t have to wait much longer.  

  I have lived this life before But I can’t remember enough to make a change My memories are unreliable and blurry Everyone I meet is vaguely familiar Each face evokes emotions of hidden remembrance Someone’s gait will spark subtle nostalgia Interactions sharpen my focus, but only slightly I recognize when my life approaches pivotal events It maddens me that I cannot recall the significance Or the sequence Thus every sorrow is twice-lived Every mistaken decision is repeated All my pains and miseries are doubled Because I have lived this life before But I can’t remember enough to make a change.

They nearly always appear friendly They walk straight and tall With no outward hint of the Small crooked creatures they truly are They come off as loyal But betrayal is with them always They seem to bring luck and comfort But cause painful, troublesome times Hear them if you must But do not listen Travel them if they can be a benefit But never trust them Deal with them with caution Do not let them sway you.

Life isn’t fair It never was Some people are born wealthy Some people are born where opportunity exists Some people are born with nothing And no hope for anything more It is bad out there for most people And good for very few Life isn’t fair It never will be But please…don’t make it worse.

  All there is now is wasteland With a few pockets of humanity Humanity may be too strong a word There are a few thousand of us left But I haven’t seen humanity in anyone Not for decades When most of us died, a lot died with us Compassion, empathy, warmth The air and water turned to poison Some had the means to build defenses Complex air filtration systems Self-contained water reclamation Domes went up over a few communities Soon the soil outside became toxic Nothing would grow outside the domes Those outsiders that didn’t die coughing blood Began to starve before long Those of us inside watched Let them die slow horrible deaths But the environment inside was fragile It could only support so many Could only feed so many Could only house so many To keep our community alive We had to leave our souls behind Now emotionless survivors are all that remain Now we are truly lost.

  They have put him in a humid room With white walls and uncomfortable chairs He is alone now, but that will change A new face will enter, and the questions will begin The questions won’t matter The answers won’t matter The words never matter in situations like these But they will develop a pattern between them Back and forth, to and fro, give and take, attack and parry They will smile as they chat There will be the illusion of trustworthiness And the pretence of trust But no one will be fooled In the end it will be an empty conversation In an empty room There will be no impact Everyone’s mind was made up already The decision firm before they entered the room This is what happens I have seen it unfold just this way Countless times in countless rooms I still can’t tell if they put on this show For each other, or for themselves.

I have been a man with dreams I have dreamed big dreams and set big goals Time and life have changed me The size and scope of my dreams are smaller The corners and faces have been eroded From rubbing up against rough days From being dropped occasionally Tripped over frequently Neglected constantly They have taken on a pleasant patina A softness around the edges They are more peaceful, less aggressive They have a comforting weight to them They have endured much But they are still here, and so am I.  

  I drank the strange electric goop And dreamed of gliding through potato soup I woke with my eyelids glued shut And a willow tree growing from my gut I chopped it down and burned the wood Then washed my face as well as I could I went back to sleep, back to sleep This time not as sound or deep If I sleep this way until dawn All day long I will stretch and yawn I fear deep sleep will bring a nightmare But it won’t be restful if I don’t dare This is the dilemma that faces me To be drowsy all day or face that tree.  

  I had hoped for progress I had hoped for growth But I woke to more of the same Each day we wage the same battle That we fought the day before We face an unchanging enemy On an unvarying battlefield Is this one eternal struggle Or an uninterrupted series  Of duplicate conflicts Commanded by identical leaders Against ceaseless foes We troops are exhausted We warriors are disheartened We soldiers grow weary  Of this perpetual conflict Will it ever end?  

  A great deal of life’s darkness is gone Replaced by flawless blue sky Chaos the color of congealed blood Washed over with calm, soothing peace It has been a significant agony But we labored together We worked to our individual strengths Overcoming weak points in each other Now the battle is won The bleak, gloomy days are behind us And the future is brighter  than we could have imagined  

  Some monsters walk in the daylight Some don’t live under the bed Or in children’s closets The moon doesn’t influence some Some monsters walk without shambling Some have healthy living skin Some eat a diet that doesn’t include brains Some look like you and me They scan your items at the market They walk their dogs and mow their lawns They vote and pay their taxes They drive carpools and set up playdates They work late, or have a drink at the bar They seem friendly and polite They fit in with every day folks But they are monsters nonetheless  

  I have traveled far And the road has been treacherous Will you open your home to me I would like to rest Perhaps purchase a meal if I may I see you have a big black dog His teeth are long and his growl is loud He makes me afraid Will you put him away I humbly seek your hospitality Just a short break Then I will be on my way And you will never see me again If you wish, I will go now Other travelers will use different tactics Something might happen to your pet Something may happen to your home May I sit with you Will you let me buy some bread and cheese We can trade stories I can tell you of my travels I would hear news of the nearby village I can mark your home So when future wanderers come this way You and yours will see no harm Thank you I appreciate your generosity