#voulean

Two blades, razor sharp.

Bodies wrapped in mortal flesh.

One of us must bleed.

The sword pierces the crisp air,

Body & Soul

Betrayed, and broken.

Lost, and found.

My honor, stolen.

Dead, on the ground.

Brother, a slave.

Father, ambition.

Family, a joke.

Shimada, perdition.

My self, gone.

A frail shadow.

My new shell.

My final abode.

Resurrected.

Mechanized.

Freedom.

Weaponized.

A second chance.

Rekindled hope.

A new family.

Riddle me this, partner...

I got six reasons why you ain't gonna win.

Round and round she goes. Where, oh, where do I begin?

Now, you've got some spunk, and that's a good thing, see...

If you just gave up now, why, it wouldn't be any fun for me.

If you still think you're gonna kill me, well, c'mon and shoot.

We'll see how long it takes before your head's under my boot.

I got six reason why you ain't gonna win.

The day it came,

I thought the end

Had found us all too soon.

I can still

Remember when

I saw it from my room.

I was only

One year out

When its shadow fell.

I heard my parents

Scream and shout,

Deafened by its yell.

The monster's voice,

It seemed to shake

The planet all around.

How much could

Our world take?

The pulsations of the ground.

Our soldiers faced

The monster down,

Time and time again.

Came they running

To every sound.

Once more, the fight began.

The monster changed

Its chemistry

As from the sea it rose.

Until at last

We start to see

The weakness that it shows.

Our dearest leaders

Came together,

A plan did they devise.

The MEKA heart,

Now and forever,

Final victory surmised.

And as I grew

Through eighteen years,

A gamer I'd become.

I joined MEKA

To quell their fears,

Destined to overcome.

They put my skills

To better use;

I flew throughout the sky.

Inside my mech

I stood abuse,

To fight, to live, to die.

Our mobile force

Destroyed the beast,

At last, at glorious last.

We celebrated

With hearty feast;

Danger, whispers of the past.

Of course, I knew,

Deep in my heart,

That this was not the end.

This was only

The very start,

What more would the future send?

Someone told me,

"The world could always

Use more heroes, love."

And so I spent

My coming days

Ensuring the light from above.

Frank Spackle: Welcome back to Idiots Anonymous, everybody. Tonight, we have a newcomer. That's right, someone who's just as stupid as the rest of you. Newblood, as they say. Stand up, sir, so everyone can see you. There you go. Can everyone see him? Raise your hand if you can't see the newblood.

You can't see him, Mr. Jinglejopper?

Dylan Jinglejopper: Ummmm, nnnnno, I cannot see him.

Frank Spackle: Well, Dylan, what did we talk about last week? ...I'm over here. No, turn your other left. No, too far. Back... back... there, now your nose is pointing at me.

Dylan Jinglejopper: I believe you spoke to me about keeping my eyes open.

Frank Spackle: Right. And what are you not doing right now?

Dylan Jinglejopper: Right now, I do not have my eyes open.

Frank Spackle: Can you tell me in three words or less how you can fix that?

Dylan Jinglejopper: Well, I could face the direction which your voice is coming from and... maybe open my eyes?

Frank Spackle: Right: open your eyes.

Dylan Jinglejopper: Thank you very much, Frank. I love your tie, by the way. Great tie.

Frank Spackle: Dylan, shut up.

Dylan Jinglejopper: Will do.

Frank Spackle: Now, newblood, what is your name?

Newblood: Sam King. Um, I don't think I came to the right meeting. I thought this was my book club.

Frank Spackle: You thought this was a... book club?

Sam King: Yeah.

Frank Spackle: Sam, this is not a book club.

Dylan Jinglejopper: This is most definitely not the book club, Sam, and I—

Frank Spackle: Dylan. Now's not the time. Thank you.

Dylan Jinglejopper: Alright, you just let me know when you need help with anything, and I'll get you right to it.

Frank Spackle: Thank you. Now, Sam, I don't know what you're on about, but there never was a book club here. This is Idiots Anonymous. It's where we keep you idiots away from the rest of the world for one glorious hour. We do it for everyone's safety, including yours.

Sam King: This is all a mistake, I'll just show myself out. Thank you so much for what you do; I'm sure all these people here appreciate it. You all have fun, and good night.

Uniformed Guard: Where do you think you're going? Nobody leaves until the meeting's over. Now, back to your seat.

Sam King: Alright, okay.

Uniformed Guard: Move!

Sam King: I'm going, I'm going... jeez.

Frank Spackle: Now that we're all cozy, why don't you all introduce yourselves to Sam, starting with... you. Remember: stand up, say your name if you can, and tell Sam a little bit about yourself in less than fifty words, Mr. Jinglejopper.

Dylan Jinglejopper: Mmkay.

Frank Spackle: You. Yes, you, I pointed at you, remember? Stand up—there you go. Introduce yourself to Sam.

Randy Gumbert: 'Sup, I'm Randy Gumbert. I work on automobiles and stuff.

Sam King: Why've you been staring at me for the past five minutes?

Randy Gumbert: ...

Sam King: Could you stop staring at me like that, please? Randy?

Randy Gumbert: ...

Frank Spackle: Sit down, please, Mr. Gumbert. Okay. Next, you.

Pippy Nimbledink: H-Hi, I'm P-Pippy Nimbledink. Nice to meet'cha. I babysit and w-work as a teacher's aide in high school. All the kids l-love me.

Sam King: That's cool.

Frank Spackle: Go 'round the circle, guys. Use your brains. Next.

Speezle: Yo-yo-yo-yo-yo! I'm Speezle da Weezle, what up, mang?

Sam King: Hey, what's up. I really shouldn't be here, that's what's up.

Speezle: You gon' like it here, dawg, I promise. I promise.

Dylan Jinglejopper: I agree, when he says you're going to like it here, you're really going to like it here. We all get along and—

Speezle: Shut yo' bitch-ass up, nerd, I ain't talkin' to you! Ain't nobody in here who likes talkin' to yo' ass.

Frank Spackle: (Laughing) Sit down, Speezle. Oh, God... alright. Next. Come on, guys, use your brains. 'Round the circle, 'round the circle. Go.

Sam King: Frank?

Frank Spackle: Yes?

Sam King: I don't feel safe here. May I please leave?

Frank Spackle: No, you can't leave. Would the next idiot please stand up and introduce himself to Sam?

Sam King: (Groans)

Buck Nugget: Hello, I'm Buck Nugget. I work as a locksmith.

Sam King: Nice.

Chris Gingerlax: Chris Gingerlax. Going to college.

Devon Darnhouse: Yeah, I'm Devon. This is such a waste of time, Frank, could we just hurry up and get this over with? I gotta be home by 8:30 to watch One Tree Hill.

Chris Gingerlax: (Laughs) Wow. That show's practically a soap opera, Darnhouse.

Devon Darnhouse: Shut the fuck up, Chris.

Chris Gingerlax: You wanna go?

Devon Darnhouse: Fuck off.

Frank Spackle: Hey, idiots. Mouths closed, butts in chairs, let's go.

Devon Darnhouse: If he didn't open his—

Frank Spackle: Guard, you have my permission to taze Devon if he gets out of his chair again.

Devon Darnhouse: Wow, fuck off.

Frank Spackle: You make me want to, Mr. Darnhouse. It looks like all the introductions are done. As you can see, Mr. King, we're a tight-knit group of people here in Idiots Anonymous. From what I've heard out of your mouth so far, it sounds to me like you might have a slight edge on the rest of these idiots, mentally. What's your IQ?

Sam King: Not high enough, apparently, since I mistook your... thing... for a book club and decided to stick around to know for sure if I was mistaken. Now I can't leave. It's stuff like this that makes me feel like... you're not listening, are you?

The fire burned three decades long,

Mind and body, beautiful, strong.

Whenever close, my passion grows,

So far away, like no one knows.

Unrequited love and strife

Cuts me deep just like a knife.

Inside my mind I see it all:

Should I speak, I'll surely fall.

All my courage wanes away

Every time I see her face.

Fearing that she keeps another,

Forgetting me, they love each other.

I scorn myself for all my fear

That she would look at me and sneer.

I'm cursed, I'm doomed, my ugly cage;

My fear, my doubt, my bridled rage.

Must I live this life alone?

Must I be lost and never know?

Locked inside, my words may never

Touch her ears, bound forever.

The Day of Valentine be damned,

I want to rise and take a stand

Without the festive need to spend

My money on bouquets of sin.

Fancy treats and jewels and gems?

Is that the way her heart I'd win?

That's not the way to show your love!

The truth comes down from up above!

So, Stephanie, please read this close,

It's the only way I can let you know

I want to be your one and only,

Never leave you weak and lonely.

That's all I really had to say.

With or without me,

I: The Brothers

They snuck away from camp that night

Leaving behind their beds for a distant light

The light in the woods glowing 'twixt the trees

The two young brothers: refugees

Their names were Kham and Zeese, ages six and five

They've known naught but war for most their young lives

Orphans they were, sons of two great Mages

A people hunted and culled for ages and ages

Carefully they stepped, wrapped in hooded shrouds

Kham snapped a twig, and out here it echoed loud

Zeese shushed him, looking back in fear

The brothers knew they weren't to come here

"Let's go back, let's go back," little Zeese whined

He seemed to shrink under the gaze of the pines

"I just wanna see it," Kham told his brother

Kham heard a voice, and it sounded like mother

A scary noise, little Zeese thought he'd heard

He conjured a magic flame with the sound of a word

"Come on, hurry," Kham whispered quietly

Zeese caught up to his brother, magic flame dancing silently

Kham was the first to arrive at the light

Yes, he could see it! That which lit the night!

And Zeese, too, saw what awaited

The brothers' curiosity: was it sated?

"Stay here," Kham ordered, stepping through the wood

"No, Kham!" Zeese strained as quietly as he could

All too soon, a flash of power!

Zeese shielded his eyes and embraced his final hour

The light dimmed away, and Zeese lowered his hand

Squinting at the light source, he should have turned and ran

Kham, his brother, vanished away

If Zeese ever made it back to camp, what would he say?

Then a wind, it blew, catching the child

It started off slow and grew into something wild

Zeese was pulled forth into the forest light

It begins with dirt so smooth

You pat the soil down

You dig away three rows of earth

And plant the seeds into the ground

And the sun is shining high

On this, a Springtime day

Wet the seeds with a drink of life

And off you go to play

And then you come on back

To check up on your seeds

And you're thinking to yourself,

"I know just what they need!"

You fertilize them so

You give them proper care

You're making every promise that

For them, you're always there

And then the flow'rs are born

And then you jump for joy

But have you any love to give?

To you, they're naught but toys

So beautiful and free

So tender in their need

They fail to heed your understanding

So you scorn them till they bleed

The flowers want to grow

The flowers want to be

It's you they want to know

In ways you'll never see

The garden is their home

It's where the flowers sleep

But every night they're trembling

In fear embedded deep

Then there comes the time

The time they dread the most

The time you vanish from their lives

Because you left them for the coast

Someone takes your place

A heart so full with care

They nurture all the flowers