Confession - 8

I stood face to face with the monster

And took a long pull of my fifth --

Sobriety left in the drift, 

I summoned what pride I could conjure,

Lifted my chin, brave and stiff, 

And with all the guts I could offer

Said, "please let me go," in a whiff. 

She stood seven feet at the shoulder

Above me did phantasm loom --

Clawed her way out of her tomb

(Her presence there made the air colder),

Peered at me there, through the gloom;

I -- her imprisoned beholder,

Bracing for horrible doom.

"It chose you," she hissed in the darkness,

"It sensed your bloodthirsty intent

And thought it may not have been meant,

The jacket that covers your carcass

(Complete with its murderous scent),

I have to destroy it regardless --

To escape from my ghostly lament!

Frozen by hulking phantasm,

I knelt in a deserate prayer --

Pleading to end my nightmare,

Free me from horror's miasm

So ghastly, it whitened my hair --

This creature of dark ectoplasm

Had me terrified, steeped in despair.

My death just beyond the horizon,

My mental composure undone --

Each of my feet weighed a ton,

My skin gone clammy and whitened,

I feared I would be overrun;

Gritting my teeth, my fists tightened,

broke off, and started to run. 

- © Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Against Temptation

How doth the humble troubadour

Improve his passion's quill

Each word sweet, like none before

His pen to never still!

How carefully his words are chose

How deftly sets the mood

And liberates her from her clothes

And claims her in the nude!

- © Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Sonnet - Acrostic

Shine a light, please -- no clue where I'm at,

Or how I came to wind up in the trunk--

My arms  are zipper-tied behind my back;

Everything is blurry... was I drunk?

Be a pal and get me out of here?

Or were you the one who shoved me in?

Don't just stand there, man -- can't you hear?

You know, the air in here is stale and thin... 

How will you explain this to our friends?

Every one of them saw us together,

Let's agree: this whole debaucle ends,

Part ways, and drop the whole affair forever?

Money? Drugs? Whatever you desire;

Every -- wait! DON'T SET THE CAR ON FIRE

---

© Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Sonnet - Barrel

Yes, this is a gun pointed at you. 

Walk over to the plastic on the floor.

I'm sure you've many questions -- I would too,

But I don't have the patience. Shut the door.

And honestly, I've not the gift of gab,

Nor any urge to share what I'm about;

I'm here because you haven't paid your tab.

Now slowly, put the barrel in your mouth.

Take your clothes off -- patient, not too fast. 

Stop crying. Smile, and do a dance for me.

That's it, baby -- make that moment last.

"Show me what a bad girl you can be."

It's you who said that to me, wasn't it?

How's vengeance feel, you rapist piece of shit?

© Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Inferno in Oz - 2 : 2

Green whistle cuts the quiet air --

An Emerald City telegram;

A summons from the Royal Guard

Addressed to Jellia Jamb. 

"That silly man. What could this be?

I think the fellow's growing dim."

And yet, she heeds the whistle's call,

And rushes off to him.

"Why have you called, O Royal Guard,"

She asks the man of whiskers green,

"What danger could we all be in

If it's not heard or seen?"

"But I do see," he answers back,

Staring through his emerald shades,

"See those twinkles, far off there?

A thousand Nomish blades."

Jellia trembles on her feet --

"My goodness, what are we to do??

They've an army thousands strong,

And we've got... only you."

"Only me?" he asks, suprised,

"I have kept our city well

For many years successfully,

As you can plainly tell."

She pauses. "Yes, but that's because

We've never been attacked before;

You've guarded well, I will admit,

But never in a war."

"Balderdash! I have no fear,

For Nomes are simple and untrained,"

He lectures, as she hears him out 

(Though knows him addle-brained.)

"I shall prove my mettle, Jamb,

Defend our city by myself,

And restore order to the land,

Without the need for help.

Worry not, my lovely friend --

My training is both vast and great,

But just in case, it might be wise

If we evacuate."

She sighs, and gives a patient smile,

Leaving guardsman to his pride,

Gathers her composure, and

Then scurries back inside.

"I can't let Whiskers fight alone --

No matter if he's proud or terse...

I've got to find a way to help --

He might get hurt, or worse!

I know just what to do,' she thinks, 

'I'll steal away in darkness pitch

And make my way through northern lands 

to Glinda, the good witch!'

---

© Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Confession 7

Gutshot, my end drawing nearer, 

I struggled to remain alive --

A small voice behind me croaked, "drive",

So faint I almost didn't hear her;

I glanced at the car's rear view mirror,

My terror in full overdrive --

Insanity becoming clearer,

My mind like a frenzied beehive.

I slowly turned on the ignition,

Doing my best to stay brave --

My captor, she reeked of the grave;

A moment of dim recognition...

Had I used her to misbehave? 

I drove onward without petition

Straight to a forest enclave. 

The jacket (not I) recognized her:

A victim from sometime ago --

I sputtered, "P-please let me go,"

As blood poured from me in a geyser...

(This one wasn't mine. That I know --

But, not being innocent either,

I felt silence quite apropos.)

Her milky eyes, clouded with yellow

Hung bright in the dark, like an owl,

Her face twisted into a scowl, 

"You've chosen a dangerous bedfellow,"

She said with a predator's growl. 

My insides went soft as marshmallow,

Threatening to release my bowel.

I turned off the Chevrolet's engine

And slowly got out of the car --

She walked behind me (not too far), 

Silently, heightening the tension...

(I know you must think I'm bizarre --

As if spinning some dark urban legend --

But I swear it's all true, this memoir.)

---

© Jackson Cambridge, 2016.

Ektoplazm (a Juggalo Break)

Ectoplazm (Plazmik & Harrow)

[Hook]

walkin inbetween the living and the dead

devil's got his hooks inside my head

Now I gotta live by the devil's code

Till the mufucka calls in what he's owed

[Plazmik:]

SLUMMIN ON THE STREET

                BUZZIN FOR A TREAT

                SUN DRESSES IN THE SUMMER HEAT 

                                MAKIN THE LADIES LOOK HELLA SWEET

SUNLIGHT IN MY FACE

                TIGHTENIN UP IN MY SPACE

                SPEEDING CAR KNOCKS ME OUT OF PLACE                                                                          SHOWS ME HOW THE ASPHALT TASTE

AIN'T NO GOIN HOME

                ACHIN' FROM MY DOME              

                MISSIN SKIN AND SHOWIN BONE

                                WHOLE WORLD'S GOIN MONOCHROME

FALLIN THROUGH THE CHASM

                BAWL AND SCREAM AND SPASM

                EVERY SPOOK AND PHANTASM

                                CRAWLIN THROUGH THE ECTOPLASM

[Hook]

walkin inbetween the living and the dead

devil's got his hooks inside my head

Now I gotta live by the devil's code

Till the mufucka calls in what he's owed

[Harrow:]

got the good word just in case you never heard

I'll be ya little bird -- in Hell's pit we interred

It's absurd -- how one day it's all good

all up in ya neighborhood, then ya in a box o' wood

tell ya this, though -- I ain't scared to smack a hoe

mista devil gonna know when I bust ma wicked flow

hell no -- the plan's pretty clear

in this place of pain and fear we better fuckin disappear

cocked my head to the sky -- looked the devil in his eye

said 'you a cool guy, but it's time ta say goodbye,

Plaz and I -- we ain't done just yet

We'll take what we can get and owe yo evil ass a debt'

An' then ol Scratch lit a little wooden match

rubbed his bald patch, itched his cratch, said 'one little catch

to attach -- I own your fuckin soul

I wrote it in the scroll - y'all are under my control

[Hook]

walkin inbetween the living and the dead

devil's got his hooks inside my head

Now I gotta live by the devil's code

Till the mufucka calls in what he's owed

HOLD UP A SECOND YO

                Y'ALL SHOULD PROLLY KNOW

                THAT ME AN' HARROW'S WICKED FLOW

                                IS CUZ WE A FUCKIN' JUGGALO

SATAN GOT SOME NERVE

                THINKIN' WE GON' SERVE

                CAN'T HELP BUT OBSERVE 

                                THIS IS MORE'N WE DESERVE

NEVER KNEW NO LOVE

                GREW UP A FILTHY SCRUB

                FOUND ME THE JUGGA CLUB 

                                NOW I HAUNT THE LIVIN' 

                                PUFFIN ON SOME STICKY SHRUB

I'M A POLTERGEIST

                FUCKIN' SACRIFICED

                MY LIFELINE'S BEEN ICED

                                AIN'T NO PRAYIN TO JESUS CHRIST

[Hook]

walkin inbetween the living and the dead

devil's got his hooks inside my head

Now I gotta live by the devil's code

Till the mufucka calls in what he's owed

my sin ii

leaning back against the wall

my muse, the deadly femme ferale

cross legged on the padded floor

safely locked behind the door

scratching shredded fabric trails

with her sharpened fingernails

mouthing at me 'turn me loose'

(Oh -- this is a different muse,

in case Juliet had crossed your mind.)

'let's see what trouble we can find'

and I can barely look away

that grin that knows I want to play

and that there's nothing I can do

so forbidden -- so taboo

every gorgeous, perfect curve

chewing on my every nerve

every tiny cell in me

knowing she's my enemy

would dive headfirst in the abyss

If it meant a single kiss

I also know I'll lose my mind

and leave humanity behind

she is a monster, as you'll see

bit by bit, through poetry

that's why the tone of each new rhyme

has grown quite darker over time

she's forcing me to let her out

knowing just what I'm about

exactly how my passion's wired

my will is gone -- my engine's fired

bit by bit I'm giving in

I must attend this perfect sin

- © Jackson Cambridge, 2016.