Nothing is quite what it seems...
The carnations are pink and the ivies are green,
But what lies underneath, what hides in between?
Landscape is pristine and inside is a dream.
The children behave in a sensible manner,
Within the walls of this dense little manor.
A mother and father make the family complete,
In the house at the end of the street.
The eldest of children is quite the thinker,
The youngest of children is still just a stinker.
The rest of the children are all such a mix,
One is learning piano, one is counting to six.
One puts on make up, not a lot, just a little.
One creates board games, puzzles and riddles.
Dad goes to work, Mama keeps the home neat,
In the house at the end of the street.
Family traditions and family vacations,
Holidays, birthdays and random jubilation,
A gregarious bunch always quick to laughter,
Might cry for a moment but it's all giggles thereafter.
It looks like nothing could faze this group.
Live, laugh, love! What could break the loop?
There is always more than what the eyes meet,
In the house at the end of the street.
Family movies and family games,
A great deal of pride in the family name.
Awards, trophies and outstanding achievements.
Often in accord, seldom disagreement.
Outside looking in, no flaw can be found,
The most perfect home in the whole little town.
But there is always more than what the eyes meet
In the house at the end of the street.
Dad did a deed, or a plethora perhaps,
We cannot attribute to a personal lapse,
It was evil and evil is poison and potent.
The door to a downfall was swinging wide open.
Mama said "Dad did no wrong to his accusers,
They're desperate freaks and malevolent losers."
But the truth never came out, so no one is free
In the house at the end of the street.
Ten children now, some away at college,
Some still too young to retain any knowledge.
But when Dad goes to trial they know well enough,
Things used to be good, not it's all looking rough.
He gets convicted and locked away for two scores.
Some say he sinned less, some say he'll sin more.
The victorious Victorian is now deft in defeat,
A cold little house at the end of the street.
The smiles are broken, the laughter has faded.
A return to glory will be long awaited.
The children have all grown into young adults,
Some have moved on, some try to place fault.
Some have habits they're unlikely to break,
We are all subject to the change our choices will make.
Life turned dark when it seemed so sweet,
In the house at the end of the street.
Anton Lender and The Second World
In a place that yearns for joy and love, artistry is a true treasure! Long after the Final World War of 2023, during which Earth was ravaged by nuclear, chemical, and digital warfare, the Last Citizens of the Globe do their best to hold together the things that are most important to them – their illustrious illustrations, their powerful poetry, their poignant pictorials, and a deep connection to one another. Anton Lender, master of evil, has made his best attempt to destroy all the light and goodness on the planet and now his reputation precedes him. The following poem is a lullaby often recited to the children of this woeful second world, warning them of Lender’s evil ways while they anxiously await the arrival of a new hope…
Anton Lender,
I remember
What you did that Dark December!
Anton Lender,
How'd you ever
Do such evil to hearts so tender?!
Brutal offender!
Hateful dissenter!
Bodies defiled and bodies dismembered
Lie in his wake!
It's no mistake!
Bloodshed is the goal of all his endeavors!
Anton Lender,
Ever so clever!
He never says anything! He never says never!
A devil's inside him!
All gods denied him!
Death itself stands close beside him!
Anton Lender,
I remember,
What you did that Noir November!
None left alive!
No soul survived!
1000 bodies on burning embers!
Anton Lender,
I remember
What you did to appease your needing
All those Months!
All at once
Countless hearts left broken and and bleeding!
Blood and terror!
Make no Error!
Cross his path and feel his wrath!
His love is death!
His every breath
Is spent in attempts to make the world lament!
Anton Lender,
I am pleading
That you cease to be the thing you're being!
Go far away
Where no thing stays,
And cease to be the thing we're seeing!!
Anton Lender,
Please remember
The souls you tragically took forever!
Change your ways!
Become astray
From all the world, 'til the end of days!!!
Be Kind, Fast Forward
I thought I was victim to my choices,
A helpless prisoner of my past.
Always a half empty glass,
No fire burning, all just ash.
I thought I was a slave to my old self.
Not determined, just deranged.
Charred by the challenges of change,
Morbid like a mutt marred with mange.
I thought I had to serve the man I was.
Lost to the Lord or any love,
Void of virtue, in vices glove.
Now I know I am enough!!
No capital crime corrupts my conscience.
The doubt I have for myself is nonsense.
I have the fortitude to forge my future,
With fortune and glory in this mortal contest.
I've failed and fallen as all men do,
And those are things I can't undo.
Onward! Upward! Forward toward
A life unseen! A life anew!
An iron will, a sword of valor,
A hilt of hope and grace is gathered.
Wash away the stains, my soul is unchained!
I am the master of my domain!!
The Uncertainty of Uncertainty
Blue will always be blue/ No matter what you do./ Who will be true to you?/ Where can you find a clue?
Buzzin', buggin' and whirrin' 'round me,/ Is a bumble's cousin like she's worried 'bout me./ Her intentions are a mystery/ And I act based on history...
But what's her story?
Maybe she's been hurt too, by men of my ilk./ Her eyes look glossy and her coat looks like silk./ Perhaps live and let live, do what thou wilt?/ But hunt or be hunted, kill or be killed!
Is it fair of me to be scared of bees,/ When some come to sting and some may care for me?/ I've been stung before and I'm still sore about it./ Now I keep my guard up and don't go out the door without it!
I think she hears my thoughts because she's getting frantic!/ She gets a little manic and here I start to panic!/ She's barrel rolling and trolling me until I'm dizzy,/ But that's not controlling me, that won't keep me busy!
Gotcha! I crushed her whole with my footwear!/ I revel in her death, I'm over the edge, I was pushed there!/ She's lifeless and the relief makes my heart sing!
Suddenly I feel the sharp electricity of a bee sting!
I guess you'll never know where pain will come from,/ Take preemptive measures and what's done cannot be undone!/ I destroyed something that might have truly saved me,/ Yet this cowardice disguised as bravery may never escape me!
Blue will always be blue/ No matter what you do./ But keep your point of view brand new/ And there you'll find the clue.
1988 and Everything Since
If seeing is believing, then I must believe that the world is a dark, cold place full of pain and sin but scattered throughout the abyss, things illuminate the path of life. Hope, love and laughter can carry even the most weary soul across an ocean of despair. Music and poetry have been remarkably sturdy vessels on my quest to the final destination.
1988 was the year I took my first breath and since then I’ve discovered a plethora of qualities about this planet that mystify and captivate me. Let me share these things with you in my own way.