BEYOND CHILDISH SCREAMS, AND WICKED SMILES
FAR FROM HOPE AND DREAMS, AND MORE THAN MILES THERE LIES A PLACE BOTH FAR AND NEAR WHERE BRAVE WILL COWER AND BOLD WILL FEAR
DOWN THE ENDLESS STAIR IN A SMOKY GLOOM
PAST A GUARDIAN PAIR AND THE WATCHERS DOOM
THROUGH THE HALL OF SCREAMS BY THE BLOOD STAINED STAKES
LIES THE PORTAL WHERE THEY AWAIT THEIR FATE
NOW QUIET HERE AT MONSTERS KEEP
THE MOST FEARED PLACE IN ALL THIS DEEP
WITH RAGE AND FANGS AND CLAWS AND IRE
THEY’VE BROUGHT THE SLEEPERS TO THE FIRE
CONTEMPLATION OF A LIFE LIVED WELL
IS A TASK FOR THOSE WHERE OTHERS DWELL
HEREIN THEY LIVE BY FLIGHT AND FRIGHT
PERSUADED BY THEIR MASTERS MIGHT
THROUGH INKY BLACK THE FEARFULL TREAD
WTIH RAGGED BREATH AND GROWING DREAD IN CHAINS THAT CHAFE ON THIS WELL WORN PATH
THE DISTANT SOUNDS OF WAR AND WRATH
DOWN DOWN ON DOWN LORD HOWLERS HOLE
WITH WINDS SO FIERCE THEY RIND THE SOUL.
AROUND THE BEND AT BREAKERS STEEP
INTO THE CAVERN THAT THEYSEEK
WITH BODIES BROKEN AND SPIRITS MEEK
THERE IS NO THOUGHT OF JOY OR PEACE
BEFORE THEM IN THIS GLOWING DIM
HOW HIGH HOW WIDE HOW DEEP THEREIN
TOO FAR FROM LIGHT TOO NEAR THE DARK
THERE LIES A GATE OFIRON WROUGHT BY TIME AND PAIN AND HATE AND HEAT GUARDED ONLY BY THE FLAMES IT KEEPS
WITH STUMBLING STEPS THEY ENTER IN
THE HOPELESS ONES AND THEIR HOPELESS KIN
ABANDONED BY WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY KNEW
NOW THE PRICE THEY OWE HAS COME FULL DUE
PASS QUICKLY OVER THE BRIGDE OF PAIN
AVERT YOUR GAZE FROM THE LAKE OF FLAME
A BUBBLING SEA OF BLUE BLACK PITCH
WHERE BODIES WRITHE AND BONES STILL TWITCH
AT LAST THEY STAND AT THE TOWER GRIM
A MONUMENT TO THAT UNNAMED HIM
WHO STOOD BEFORE THE LORD OF ALL
AND THUS BEGAN HIS MIGHTY FALL
SO LISTEN NOW AND LISTEN WELL
TWOULD BE BEST TO AVOID THIS HELL
SO FAR BEYOND THOSE CHILDISH SCREAMS
SO MANY MILES FROM HOPE AND DREAMS
REA’04
