* A collaboration with Tom Mullen, about the shared friendship of Heather, Reindeer, and Tom.

Elements of truth, harbored in fiction
Now wandering through the darkened forest
Breathing in shadows, still trying to hide
Shocked by their patience, waiting for return
Awaiting the hour, waiting for payback
They did not know chaos was not coming
Although for a few, it did not matter
For they were deep within their dark safe place
Somewhere all could be happy together
Without constraints of commitment and life
No more deceitful duality here
As we escaped into a pleasant land

Darkness and beauty all around me,
Something few could ever see,
And fewer still believe,
That happiness and peace could reign here,
Living in this place without fear-
For you are not welcome to see,
The place where the dark ones roam free,
Here there is safety for us three,
Here we are what we want to be…

It's late and we're all tired
Shadows move under the clouds
We all slip sometimes, but
Never in this private Eden
Some of us found a return to
Three friends so distant
United by something close
Hearts and minds reside here
Memories that refuse to fade
Slowly awakened, stirring
Pushing forward, plants sway
In the sweet gentle breeze
It is alive, all of this, out world

We do not fear the scars we see,
We do not weep at the site of blood,
Which drips so forlornly,
We offer comfort in silence,
Strength in the joining of our souls,
For this is a pain we know,
Shall pass unnoticed among you all,
But we are safe behind our wall-
You cannot touch us here,
We have nothing to fear,
Joining our hearts has made us strong,
And nothing we do is wrong,
For we stand together we three,
And in our hearts we are free…

This threefold tower of strength
Stood not wavering in the wind
Nothing could hurt them now
Although they stayed insular
For just a little longer, for they
Could let no one in just yet
This place was a perfect secret

For it resided in their hearts,
Where it could not be taken apart,
By any man’s mortal deed,
But stood fast against its need,
Should one of the three,
Tremble or even fall,
They did not even have to call,
For the one or the other would save,
Seeking not to be brave,
But merely to keep safe,
That which they had made,
And would take this secret to the grave-
Rather than let it be ill used,
For their friendship was fused,
In fire and steel,
Carved upon a ruddy wall,
Stained and bloody,
Visible to all,
But untouched by even the smallest grace,
For this was their secret place…

The road to it was long, painful
The road washed away by their blood
The collective stuck in this wilderness
That they had no reason or desire to
Even try to escape from, for it was so
It had been good to them, kept them well
They could never fall apart again for
They were all now intertwined by some
Subtle thread of friendship, stronger than
Steel, or broken stone, forever unbroken
This was the forging of a new way, yes
Something that one day could be shared
Through the sacrifice of few, many would
Be saved from the pain of salvation, only
Having a decent shot at redemption

But for now the dark world of these three,
Lay in a world untouched by mortal man,
For here they were free to be,
Free to love, and free to bleed,
Free from all pretense of honesty,
Shadowed but loved,
Haunted by shades of indifference,
Finding peace in this shadowed world,
Where they share with others of their kind,
Dwelling together in the dark world they find,
A bond that is forged in shared sorrow,
And look not upon tomorrow,
For today is enough for these three,
To live and be one in harmony…