What do want of me, she asked
As if it was something he could put into words
Images crashed in his mind
A warrior queen with a flashing sword
Everything not needed for survival cut away
To make room for the hard edges shown
A mother wiping her hands on an apron
All soft and giving, thoughts centered
Around a home she felt no need to leave
A clerk writing numbers in a book
Hair swept up in a tight bun
A pair of glasses perched on her nose

Her eyes pierced through, staring
But he did not think she saw his soul
She looked too long, too hard at him
With nothing crossing her face
To show that she had seen anything of note
Whether good or ill, it was up to his words

Ring clenched in one hand
Fingers tight as his nerves
His emotions in a storm
He did not want the words to tumble
Like mischievous children caught up in play
But then again, there is no magic phrase
That unlocks the heart
No alacazam, no abracadabra, not even
Sindbad's open sesame works here
And neither does "I love you"
For too many have made that the epitome of love
And she would always be contrary
To what others think is the only path

When photographs have faded
And memories grow dimmer
I shall turn to see you in the shadows
And smile, so slight, just that upturn
Close my eyes a moment
Blink away the tears that want to come
Breath deep and let out slow
And breath in again to say your name
Raise a finger to your lips and smile
Wink a little and nod your head
As I nod mine back and smile a little bit more
This time letting the tears fall
No words, just the sound of wind and leaves
Tea roses left on a grave, crimson on green

====
My first entry in a while, and it's grief poetry. Not for any one specific, just playing with characters and storylines, and one of them decided they needed the grave site.

It's a long way down the spiral of insanity
Moments of time to take your breath and hold it
And look back and gasp and realize
Exactly where you're going
Trapped by the expectations of others
And worse, expectations of yourself
Looking in the mirror, but you can't
Meet your own darkened eyes
Stepping away takes so much courage
Almost as much as raising your chin
And walking down the spiral more
The abyss calls your name
But what happens when it is in your own voice?

I dream of a man who had no hands
But a tongue that cut like a knife
As I stare into the darkening night
I wonder where he went
Stepping from shadow to shadow
As solid as the mist
As tangible as thoughts
And as fleeting as memories
I dream of a man who hands told the lies
Sweet silver claws and arms
While his tongue held no secrets
Telling always telling the most bitter truths

======
Ashley is an honorary Scotsman--he broods. Snap out of it.

Love.
It's enough to bring a man to his knees,
Or lift him up on fairy wings.

=====
I have no idea if that's Syd or Ash; I can tell their female voices apart, but male? Sounds like something Syd would say, but I think it was Ashley.

Dance in the Darkness
(to the tune of "Lost in the Shadows" by Lou Gramm)
Moving in the moonlight
Dance in the shadows
Moving in the moonlight
Dance in the darkness

(another tune, currently tapping with foot... gimme time to actually write this piece of music...)
Oh the fire may burn
And the water may wave
The earth can move
And the wind never stays
The light may shine
But it never tells the truth
So into the darkness goes you

You saw the dance
And you fought your fight
You stood against wrong
And you did what was right
You took your chance
And you lived your life
So into the darkness goes you

I've made my choice
And I know who I am
I've seen the past
And where I began
I've seen who I was
And I'll be that again
So into the darkness goes me

=====
Ashley insists she sings constantly. She also insists Sydney is the better singer, and while Sydney agrees, Ashley is the type who is constantly humming or singing under her breath.

So, yeah, these are songs set in the origfic.

There are pieces missing from me.
Shattered once, twice, thrice
Pieces lie on the ground
I can't put them back where they were
I put myself back together
But I can't make all the pieces fit
Are they still me?
Are they still a part of me?
Or are they you?
Did I steal a part of you
To make the glue
So I could still move
In this world of pain I inhabit
These pieces glitter in the light
But I can't tell if it's gold or pyrite
That makes them shine
And there's silver running through
All my soul's tarnished gold
Holding these tawdry pieces together
Is the silver me, a different me?
Or is it you?

we won't have our chance
we won't have our day
so man the walls
hold your blades close to your breast
we'll be going to Death today
but we'll be going with the best

wear the shadows like a cloak
never let the tears fall
they'll smell the hate
they'll smell the fear
but only let them get near
cut their throats from behind
while they hesitate, looking for the scent

blood has been shed
but the tears don't come anymore
words are never spoken
nods and shakes
movements of the hands
never opening the mouth
we tell each other our fates

Ummm... *points to song* it's really depressing? Honestly, I'm not sure whether this is part of the origfic, one of the Warrior's nightmares (and not really part of the origfic), one of Carerica's nightmares, or just something that haunts me. *shrug*