VALLEY OF PROUD MEN

 Valley of Proud Men

Sorrowed down

In the dirt of an unbloomed rose

I seek the light of a moon so weak

It cannot lift it's head.

What made me think

        I could find my way

Out of

This treacherous valley?

Where blood and bone

Have gone to ash

And dreams

Have turned to dust?

I hear the cries of moaning men

Their specks of life 

Snatched up by dogs

And buried under ground.

The whispers of the Old Ones rise

In the mouths of angry crows

And when they fly, the sky turns black

Like an endless, celestial sea.

I am an apparition now

Not dead or alive, not breathing breath

The ghosts of bison run me down

And the wolves devour my heart.

See them roaming

The tired brown earth?

Looking for flesh

        Of tired proud men?

The proud men 

Are all gone now

They live in memory

On the eyelids of the dead.

This is the place of massacre,

The land of boiling blood,

The resting place of those

Who cannot rest in death.

And I, you ask me, who am I?

I am the future that never was

The yesterday that died unborn

And the tomorrow that never came.

I am the nightmare

And eyeless vision,

Bitter water pooling forth

From the chasms of the earth.

Searching for the tall, green corn

And drums that beat for dancing

Riding on the backs of beasts

That no longer dare to fly.

I am the voice of children, silenced

And the howl of wolves, unheard

I am the desolation falling

That blankets out the sun.

Ride with me, my angry crow!

My hungry dog, my empty bow!

Ride with me on the bones of steeds

        Lying buried in the dust.

The mountains taunt me with their crowns

Stretching arms of evergreen

Point to splendor on their peaks

        Made virgin white with snow.

Calling me with teasing smile

To stand and walk the walk of men

The talking trees command me Come

And cool my fever with singing wind.

And I reach forth my eager hands

As seasons change and crawl away

Again and again seeking reprieve 

Touching my lips to the face of the sky.

The horse neighs,

The crow caws, the dog growls and sighs

As over and again, 

My hands fall to my side.

For the valley won't let me go

The valley won't let me go

I'm the shadow in the valley

Of the shadow of Death

And the valley won't let me go.

©by Voo

June 28, 10

7 p.m.

SEDUCTION IN PALE GLOW

 Seduction In Pale Glow



Candy, he said
You taste like candy
The imported kind
That costs a week's salary.

And that perfume you wear
What's it called?
No, wait, I don't want to know
Let it remain a mystery.

Your skin feels like silk
Arabian silk that glides like the ripple
Of a stone across a pond
Smooth, you know? Like that.

And look at that hair
Miles of it!
Have you ever cut it? No?
Then promise me you never will.

Where do you buy your clothes?
They're beautiful, stylish
You look like you just stepped 
Out of the pages of a magazine.

I bet you sing, don't you?
I bet you sing like a bird, an angel, even
Would you sing to me, for me?
I know you sing just listening to you talk.

You have a laugh that makes the soul happy
And that twinkle in your eye, marvelous!
I could sit here in this candlelight 
And look at you until the end of time.

Let's dance, shall we?
What wonderful music, I love it
A samba? A rumba? The bossa nova?
I don't care as long as we dance.

Look at you! Are you a professional?
I've never seen such grace, such beauty, such excitement
You shine like a diamond, a diamond, I tell you!
Would you be my diamond? My precious jewel?

Let's go outside into the garden
Get some air, let me catch my breath
You take my breath away, you make me weak
I've never met anyone like you before.

Is it alright if I kiss you again?
Like this? Look at me! Into my eyes
Can you see the fire you have kindled?
I'd better stop before I am consumed by it.

But no! I can't! I don't want to!
Your lips are soft and luscious
And they were made to be kissed
You taste like candy, did I tell you that?

Look at that moon! Isn't it incredible?
See how your eyes shine in it's pale glow
I know there's no music here but I want to hold you
Tight here in my arms till the morning comes.

Sing to me and we'll slow dance
Anything you want, I don't care
Yes, that's it! How sweet and special you are
You make me feel like I was just born tonight!

Would you like some champagne?
A night cap on the way home? Anything you like
Your wish is my command, my princess
For you I'll be a willing slave.

Tell me where you live
Is it far? It doesn't matter, we'll drive all night
It feels so good to have you here beside me
I feel like a prince in a fairy tale story.

Driver, stop the car! What's wrong, my darling?
Speak to me! Are you ill? What can I do?
Why are you looking at me like that?
What have I done, my love, to make you sad?

Where are you going? Why are you running?
You mustn't go into the forest, it's dark
Look! There's a storm brewing, you must come back
Come back, I tell you, this is madness! Madness!!!

Driver, where did she go? Did you see where she went?
What do you mean, she who? The girl, the beautiful girl!
Are you insane, man? The girl from the restaurant!
The girl in the back seat of this town car with me!

No! Get away from me! I'm not intoxicated!
There was a girl, I tell you! You must have seen her!
We danced, we drank champagne, she sat there at the table
And then we danced in the courtyard and she kissed me.

She tasted like candy. Like candy
And that perfume! Intoxicating! A mysterious fragrance
Skin like silk and long, raven hair, those glorious eyes!
I loved her the moment I saw her.

We must call someone. They must find her
She's out there alone in the forest, it's dreadful
Would you go and look for her, please?
Don't look at me like that, I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy.

Look, it's pouring rain now. Lightning.
That beautiful white dress will be soaked
She'll be so cold. So cold. I must find her....
Alright, take me home, driver, we'll call someone.

Good morning, man, may I see the paper?
I didn't sleep a bit last night, I walked the floor
Wait! What's that? That picture! It's the girl, I tell you!
One year anniversary of her death! It couldn't be!

She was there! With me! In my arms!
We danced, we talked, we laughed
We drank champagne, we kissed
 She tasted like candy, like candy, I tell you
Like candy.

 ©By Voo
Sept 24, 07 midnight

Almost Blue by Chet Baker

AND I WILL DANCE FOR YOU

And I Will Dance For You
                     

and I will dance for you in darkness
I will dance for you in light
I will catch you up in starshine
brighten corners of your night.


I will sing you of the love songs
still yet unsung in my heart
build a fire in the coldness
saved from hope's undying spark.


I will fly you up to heaven
swim you underneath the seas
kiss you on the tops of mountains
hold your hands in Eden's breeze.


play for me, the music in you
play for me, the soul's refrain
play for me, the song of your heart
in the sunshine and the rain.


and I will dance for you in rapture
I will twirl in love's embrace
living for applause of your eyes
the approval of your face.


dancing, dancing, sad feet dancing
trampling sadness till it's gone
I will dance for you forever
my feet have, at last, found their song.

©by Voo
April 29, 2006 
5 p.m. 

I'LL COME IN STORM CLOUDS

           

        

Play both videos at same time
for best effect. Right click on vids
to set them on Loop

I'll Come In Storm Clouds

Hear the rain

Fall on the glass

Small wet drops

Now coming fast.

Hear the thunder

How it roars

Let’s run to bed now

And bolt the doors.

Hear the lightning

See it strike

It’s going to be

An electric night.

Light the candles

Pour the wine

The night is yours

And you are mine.

Read me poetry

You wrote for me

Look through my eyes

See what I see.

I’ll kiss the words

Right off your mouth

Unleash the passion

And pour it out.

Your hands are velvet

Your hands are steel

I’ve much to teach them

About how to feel.

I’ll dance for you

In candle glow

And show you things

That you don’t know.

For rain awakes me

And thunder calls

But lightning evokes me

Most of all.

For I am thunder

And I am rain

And I come as lightning

To strike again.

This breath I breathe

I breathe for you

This feast in my eyes

Is prepared for you.

Come, let us taste

Come, let us dine

On rain and thunder

And love and wine.

My heart is hungry

My need is great

Love, be my banquet

I cannot wait.

The night is passing

Tomorrow dawns

But rush of passion

Goes on and on.

I cannot stop now

Till this storm has quit

It drives me onward

With each lightning hit.

And you, my wildness

And you, my joy

Inspire my wiles to

Further employ.

Till daylight breaks

And night has fled

And we lie happy

In this rumpled bed.

The candles burned down

To melted pools

The wine drops warming

In glass still cool.

I kiss your face

You touch my hair

And all the fires

Still smolder there.

Let’s sleep awhile

Let’s dream and then

Wait for the storm

To stir up again.

You’ll be my desert

Thirsty anew

And I’ll come in storm clouds

And rain on you.

©by Voo

March 13, 2010

NOTHING LEFT STANDING BUT VAMPIRES

                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                    

Nothing Left Standing But Vampires

I walk down the boulevard in old New Orleans

In my designer black high heels and my little black dress

Tripping on cobblestones and grabbing for lamp posts

That are no longer there

Looking for houses and landmarks and history

That have stood for ages against wind and rain and fire

But they are no more

They are memories washed out to sea..........

I stand underneath a tree that has survived

And I marvel at it's tenacity; I caress the limbs and

Branches with their pitiful leaves reaching out to me

With human like gestures and I hear them whispering

In pleading voice "Why?"

And I shrug and hang my head and cold tears run down

My face and fall upon the broken ground...........

My birth place is a junkyard now

Not a trace left of the wide verandas and hanging ferns

White wicker furniture and fountains sparkling in the sun

Just pieces of glass lying there reflecting my sorrowed face

In a pool of water not fit to touch the earth

I walk in silence down streets that don't exist

Through gardens that have no fruit or flower

In this shattered city that has drowned in jazz and

A hurricane's embrace................

Ghost ships pull into the port and disappear in mists of smoke

And fog, dispensing cargoes to the ghosts who run to catch them

And then, they too, disappear, their voices crying out and

Trailing off in winding wails of woe and homelessness

The golden sun falls now into fiery red and still I walk

And still I look and search for remnants of the home I cherished

And the parish I played in and the city I loved................

It's so silent now I can hear my heart beating in my breast

My tears have dried and have emptied their reservoir

I can cry no more

Darkness comes and covers me in it's blanket of warm, black ink

I put my arms around me and hug myself in desperation

A comfortless gesture, and as my eyes adjust, I walk on as the moon

Comes up shining over the scattered landscape

A breath of wind blows softly behind me and touches me with friendly

Hands and I sigh in gratitude and turn.................

And as I turn, I catch the outline of a form in black standing there

Among the shadows

On the remnant of a balcony with it's white hand upon the rail

For a moment the figure doesn't move, it's head bowed in silent

Sorrow and it's tears glittering in the moonlight

Then he raises his sad face towards me and our eyes meet 

In the still pale light and in sweetness 

Only two grieving hearts can share...............

He nods and moves so I can see the useless dagger 

He holds to his own throat in voiceless agony 

But he cannot die, he can never die, not even of grief 

And I nod and raise my hand in greeting and he returns in kind

For long agonizing seconds we stand there still as death, longing to

Run to hold one another but do not move and do not move

And do not move, our feet frozen in icy grip of traumatized despair...........

And then, with one last long look, I turn to go and leave the figure

Standing there in his crumbling mansion watching me as my high heels

Click on pavement, rock and shards of glass

As the sun comes up, I find my destination 

And slip in between the twisted gated fence 

And search the rows of granite that are standing

Some are not and some are gone but one stands there resolutely

Against the sky, it's angels flying merrily in gray relief 

And it's resident's name carved there for all to see and wonder at..........

I run my fingers over the angels' faces 

And press a kiss into my hand and blow it into the wind

Then looking forlornly at my broken city washed clean and desolate

In the morning, I slip into the grave to sleep

Not resting, never resting now but tossing back and forth

In bitter search of peace..........

I slip off my high heeled shoes 

And see that my feet are cut and bruised and bleeding 

And I smile

Feeling somehow, alive

The only thing living in New Orleans.

©by Voo

September 5, 2005

2 p.m.

 My Vampire Heart by Tom McRae

Voo and Mark the vampire

thanks, Mark, man of 1000 faces