NOIR. 9. In The Quiet Absence Of God

This is a series concering the Blue Sky Black Death's music album NOIR.
It ties in with the happiest moments of my life as it was there to witness them.
I would like you to see the images I see whenever I hear the songs.
Some of them feel very real, some of them are more abstract.

"BATTLE"

Everything is in slow motion.

Rains of arrows are falling down on the battlefield. Flaming arrows are dancing a deadly tango with heavy water drops. You can hear the rain slowly hitting pools of water and blood as men are clashing in the dark, damp mud. Thumping sounds of their swords and spears colliding in a ferocious battle reverberate in the open field, under the dome of black clouds.

As you're approaching closer to the battle, slow and agonizing screams of wounded men can be heard louder and more intensely. A sense of dread is a mist engulfing everything in its reach. Someone is cursing. Someone is taunting. Others are dying.

Zoom in on the faces. Faces covered in mud and dirt, blood and sweat. Expressions of anger, hatred, determination, pain. Teeth are showing, wounds are bleeding. Eyes have no colors, no soul is present inside. No glimmer of humanity. Berserker's trance.

Shattered shields are lying everywhere. Armor pieces are flying in all directions as cold steel is cutting their life short. It doesn't matter if something is standing or lying down, it's being peppered with flaming arrows and unstoppable spears. Rain is bringing no solace to those who fell. It only adds to the desperation.

It's all a field where dead corpses are flowers and spears stuck in the ground are trees.

Day doesn't care anymore. Only the night remains. It's watching us and wondering.

So do we, the ones who don't want to be here. We are forced to. When we lift our heads and look around we see destruction, death, mayhem everywhere. We caused it. We always do. But why?

Our numbers are dwindling but come next battle, new men will take place of the fallen.

But what for?

Why are we fighting?

What's the point?

Who can we turn to?

Is there anybody out there?

______________

Previous entries:

1. Our Hearts Of Ruin. "The Hill"
2. Sleeping Children Are Still Flying. "The Glow"
3. And Stars, Ringed. "The Seeds"
4. To The Ends Of The World. "To Dream"

5. Farewell To The Former World. "The Escape"
6. Falling Short. "Fear"
7. Gold In Gold Out. "Now Or Never"
8. Where Do We Go. "Connection"

NOIR. 8. Where Do We Go

This is a series concering the Blue Sky Black Death's music album NOIR.
It ties in with the happiest moments of my life as it was there to witness them.
I would like to help you see the images I see whenever I hear the songs.
Some of them feel very real, some of them are more abstract.

"CONNECTION"

There were two wooden benches at the riverbank. They were resting below a shade cast by a single tree that was growing right between them. I was sitting on one of the benches. The sun was shining again. When I turned my eyes to the ground, the shade looked like clouds covering the ground which was now sky, as if the world was reversed. My feet were placed on those 'clouds' and I stepped on them carefully, trying not to fall into the 'sun'.

It was a good, simple fun. In those peaceful moments you have for yourself you can do simple things and enjoy them. Make them up as you go and be creative and open-minded. Use your senses and be interested. Observe and take part. I can find plenty of interesting things to see around me. Even a patch of grass blowing in the wind can stop my thoughts in that moment in time, seemingly taking a picture of my mind.

As I sat there for a bit longer, now looking at a flock of birds flying over the river, I heard someone coming over and sitting on the other bench. I glanced in that direction and the person did so in my direction. We did not exchange any words but we acknowledged our presence. Slight nod of head can express many words. It's beautiful sometimes how people can talk without saying anything. There is something that fascinates me in this kind of communication. It seems to have a deeper sense of mutual understanding and connection.

Words can be deceptive. Words can lie a lot more often than the eyes. You can use many words to say many things but rarely all of them carry any significance to anything, or worse, they hurt other people a lot of the time. People should use words carefully. The world would benefit if people used words more sparingly, leaving out those insignificant words in meaningless sentences, used to make small talk or conveying thoughts that don't amount to anything.

Careful consideration and proper choice of words would help everyone get on better with each other. It would enable us to communicate in a deeper and more profound way. No deception, no lies, no meaningless babble.

Like that simple look in the eyes. When two people are open to see the other person, see them as an equal and are willing to share just a fraction of second in time to learn about each other, it creates something special.

We sat there for an hour. A big tree between our benches shifted the 'clouds' on the ground as time went by. We were always in the shade. It was a nice feeling, as gentle breeze was constantly finding its way from over the river to the benches. Weather was perfect and nature was marvelous.

We sat there on our own benches, in our own worlds. It felt like two planets of equal size and significance coexisting in a perfect manner. Even though we were separate beings, we were both part of the same universe. We built our own homes and our own realities and there was never any conflict. I wished it always was that simple.

There was no point dwelling on that. Instead, I opted to just enjoy this moment fully. Just take part in sharing a view and air with a stranger with whom I already had more of a connection than with many people I know well.

I was observing the nature and so was my neighbor, I felt. It was most likely the reason that that person came here. It's a perfect place for observing the nature and clearing your head. Sometimes I wondered how many times we both looked at the exact same thing in the exact same time. Like those birds. Not all of them, a particular one. It had to be a particular one for this game to work. To capture the exact same still frame in our minds seemed like an interesting phenomenon to me. It was an endless sea of possibilites with ever changing variables and us being the only constants in that reality. Yet again, simple fun.

At other times, my mind drifted toward more serious matters. We were both sitting in a perfect place for working out our problems and we were both aware of that. While I was trying to solve mine, I also knew the other person was most likely doing the same. I didn't want to know their issues, I'm not nosy. But I knew one thing: I wished them well. It was a strange type of kindness, a pure and unbiased hope that someone fares well. You can often find it in yourself without being aware of its presence. It's a great thing to be caught like that. Being able to feel it is one of the things that make you a decent person. You can see that in someone's eyes too. "I wish you well" are just plain words without honesty glowing from within the eyes.

Some time later I noticed it was starting to get late. The tree seemed to be done for the day, a good day of work and pleasure at the same time. It was a good moment to leave. We stood up from the benches almost at the same time. A coincidence, we both thought, as we exchanged looks for a second time and nodded again, this time with a glimmer of smile visible in the eyes. I knew we thanked each other for sharing that place and that time. We went our separate ways but I kept hoping that maybe we will cross our paths again. If not with that person, then with another one, much sooner than you'd think.

______________

Previous entries:

1. Our Hearts Of Ruin. "The Hill"
2. Sleeping Children Are Still Flying. "The Glow"
3. And Stars, Ringed. "The Seeds"
4. To The Ends Of The World. "To Dream"

5. Farewell To The Former World. "The Escape"
6. Falling Short. "Fear"
7. Gold In Gold Out. "Now Or Never"

Peace

Among trees

Fleeting peace

Darts away

Everyday


Startled deer

Out of fear

Turns its head

Runs in dread


Full of distrust

Escape must

Never inert

It's been hurt


Burnt before

Was ignored

Listen, gem

I'm not them


It'll know

It'll let go

One day

It's okay

Ray Cyst's Musical

(Man #1)
I love to wear a flowing white robe…
My infamy has spread across the globe…
(Man #2)
My eyes are glowing behind two holes…
I know I ain't winnin' popularity polls…
(Man #1)
They're saying about us things mean and rude…
That we're robbin' decency hidden behind a hood…
(Man #2)
Those accusations wound us very hard and deep…
Sometimes I wanna quit but I got vows to keep…

(Both)
But as we jump around
Hand in hand
Feeling white pride
You gotta understand
WE ARE…
People, people, PEOPLE!
Never too late to hate!

Never too late to hate!

(Man #2)
If you are a member of an ethnic group…
Your friendship would be for us quite a coup…
Just follow me closely to this alleyway…
It will be even better if you're gay…
(Man #1)

Listen to him, he is always right…
He will set you free toward the light…
Can you see it? A view to admire…
Don't worry; it's just a bit of fire…

(Both)
Ooooooh!
Ridin' horseback in unisex dressing
Flaming hearts, burning crosses
We'll count our blessings
You count your losses!
We'll count our blessings
You count your losses!

(Both) (Choir)
And as we jump around
Hand in hand
Feeling white pride
You gotta understand
WE ARE…
People, people, PEOPLE!
Never too late to hate!
Never too late to hate!

(Man #2)
But after the sun rises again in the dawn…
(Man #1)
The dawn?
(Man #2)
Gotta clean up this mess from our front lawns…
(Man #1)
Front lawns?
(Man #2)
Nobody wants to pay us a single dollar…
(Man #1)
A single dollar?
(Man #2)
They only buy copper, not dead men of color…
(Man #1)
What shame!

(Man #2)
So we have to put our most prized possession…
In our pure white hearts, despite your aggression...
(Man #1)
See, we are our own masters, we decide our fate...
Now we race to a parade to exhibit our hate...

(Both)
Hate, hate!
Heil, heil!
Hate, hate!
Heil, heil!

(Both) (Choir)
Still we jump around
Hand in hand
Feeling white pride
You gotta understand
WE ARE…
People, people, PEOPLE!
Never too late to hate!
Never too late to hate!

(Man #2)
But wait, wait, wait
(Man #1)
What is it?
(Man #2)
A realization struck me after all our stunts
(Man #1)
A what?
(Man #2)
There's no way to say it without being blunt
(Man #1)
Tell me!

(Man #2)

We might be by our brothers forever shunned

(Man #1)
Come on!

(Man #2)
Hey, hey, hey, we are racist cunts!
(Both) (Choir)
We are racist cunts!
We are twats in spiky hats!
Homophobic cunts!
We are twats in spiky hats!

WE... ARE... CUUUUUNTS!

Strawberries

Strawberries are outstanding. They definitely stand out and are infinitely tasty. Their taste is sweet like a sweet fruit and makes your body shiver in spasms of pleasure. It massages the erogenous zones of the palate giving orgasms with its quality texture and vast experience in the field. The field is a place where they grow up and through experience they acquire a texture so nice and sweet and pleasurable and warm like a sun.

Sun is very important to strawberries and strawberries are trying to be best pals with it. They smile at the sun and bask in its glow sunbathing and reaching their ultimate color - red. Red's not dead, it's still one of the best colors and strawberries are very happy to wear it. They try green and white first but, come on, red is the way to go.

Red, ripe, beautiful strawberries are wonderful and lovely like a balcony with a view of the ocean. An ocean of strawberries, no less, as they are consumed in large quantities all over the world. World loves strawberries and eats them a lot making itself a better place. That's just the way it should be.

There are many ways to eat a strawberry. You can eat them fresh like a pair of new sneakers, 'raw' because you can't say strawberry without 'raw' or you can prepare them like a boxing champion before facing a challenger to the title. Kick-ass strawberries kick ass and knock people out unconscious with their flavor and style. World Fruit Council champions. World's Tastiest Fruit, now official. Respect.

There are many other respectable ways to utilize strawberries in fruit industry. You can make a tasty strawberry juice and drink it through a straw and it is berry tasty, if you pardon the pun. Pardon is a french word and strawberries were first bred in France, in the XVIII century which is a long time ago unless you are a titan and have lived forever then it might not seem a long time ago. Many people aren't titans though and are happy to enjoy strawberries also in pies and ice creams and milkshakes and chocolates. Strawberry milkshakes are better than others and they bring clients to ice cream parlors and restaurants.

Strawberries are beautiful like a woman and have all the curves in right places. They are far superior to butterflies who first have to become caterpillars. Strawberries are born as flowers! How wonderful would it be to be born a flower and not a screaming baby covered in blood and vernix caseosa. Once I wished I was born a strawberry but then I remember I'd get eaten, no lie.

Lying and deception is possibly the only flaw of strawberries but it is justifiable by circumstances. The lie here is that strawberries aren't actually berries, they are an accessory fruit. But such were the circumstances in XVIII century France and the French Revolution that strawberries were forced to change their name to avoid prosecution which is justifiable. Strawberries as accessory fruit serve as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and purses. Strawberries are no longer pursued by French Revolution and now live happily like a puppy at bitch's tit.

The conclusion is that strawberries are stellar like stars and fantastic like fantasy while remaining real like reality. They're not good, they're not better, they're the best. Better than the rest and all that jazz, blues and progressive rock. Strawberries rock my world and yours as well. Well played, strawberries, well played.

Sullivan Spliff

Casting a long fuckin' shadow over masculinity worldwide
Lazily setting trendy trends and fiery fires alight
He don't need to shit, don't need to sleep at night
Always poking everywhere it's warm and tight

He's Sullivan Spliff
Sullivan Spliff

In his vicinity bitches be removin' their bras

Swarmin' all around him and fawning en masse

Other fellas are jealous, have their faces stuck to glass

Groaning and bemoaning the fact they're simply outclassed

By Sullivan Spliff
That's right: Sullivan Spliff

His feet are carried by air; his path is lit by morning sun

As he breezes past diseases and pleases everyone

Couldn't count the amount of awesome things he's done

A legend that deflowered at least one Italian nun

That's Sullivan Spliff

The mighty Sullivan Spliff

He rules over kingdoms, endless seas of lands
A crown on a noble head and people's lives in manly hands
Most important of all is a fact that always stands

He be doin' all this shit without wearing any pants

Oh, Sullivan Spliff
Pantless Sullivan Spliff

FOR ME

There's just fucking NOTHING.

Only mountain tops in the distance. Never to be reached, EVER.

This is how it WORKS.

Tried many things but I CAN'T do it any longer.

Can't even SEE those mountain tops anymore.

I am lost in a dark forest. WHERE am I going?

IS THIS the right way?

I can't see SHIT.

There's nothing good GOING on.

I'LL let my head HANG in shame.

Is it time to give up MY DREAMS?

Or should I carry ON?

There are only BLACK TREES.

Everything seems to be ending, if it's not already OVER.

I'll never be THERE.

BECAUSE I lost my way.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

Nobody cares about MY LIFE.

Even I don't and it's all there IS to say.

Might just lie down and be consumed by NOTHINGNESS.

Leaving only nightmares AND fading memories.

What A WASTE.

How CAN someone continue to live like this.

Why would YOU pay attention?

PLEASE go on your own way.

It's too late for me to cry out for HELP.

Can't ask FOR THE final lifeline.

This is my LAST goodbye.

Soon I'll be forgotten by TIME.

Found It

I was looking for a way to put my pen to paper

I was walking all the roads just to find that place, huh

My boots all worn out, my mind couldn’t be made up

When I thought I reached the goal, it told me “see ya later”

The sun didn’t help, always shining in my eyes

The wind was a snag, slowing movement of my thighs

But I kept on moving, I never stopped walking

Stumbled many times and drank oceans of coffee

I was lost in a maze, I was lost, often fazed

Blind alleys in my head, I created such a space

My mind’s creativity was misdirected

Misconstrued, often defected

Now I’m trying to get my style perfected

Get inside ya head and make ya brain infected

Can see the statue of my rhymes being erected

With your votes for the presidency elected.

Back up to the moment when I finally found the Grail

A sight for sore eyes after numerous derails

Found the right track to follow without fail

Fire burning hot, free to tell my tale.

No more pain, no more grief, a sigh of relief

No longer oxygen's thief I embraced the belief

First step to my dreams, reached and achieved

But it's just the beginning, you'll quickly see

As I develop and nurture the almighty skill

Obtain ancient techniques of operatin' the quill

Wranglin' between my rhymes like a crafty eel

Testing strength of mind and power of will

Constructin' collages of images of rhyming syllables

Piecing together things both explosive and beautiful

Climbing towers effusive all the way to the ceiling

Bursting through, experiencing unforgettable feelings.

Follow me on this journey, it's an invitation

A never-ending grand ball, call off your vacation

Wear a nice dress, you know the address

Let's dance a tango of rhymes, relax, no stress

Forget all the pains of your everyday life

This is a room of joy, not fields of strife

Strike a match, ignite, and fly so high

Embrace the light of the day and the darkness of night

Revel in the moment, be a part of the style

A pioneer of the art, it really ain't hard

Once you open your eyes and open your heart

Open your ears and hear sounds from afar

Distant noises that at first don't make much sense

I'll help you understand, give me a chance

Lemme guide you on the path, with creation romance

Make it the way in which the world we'll enhance.

The Duel

With a sudden movement of his right fist he struck it with a fierce blow. A splatter of glowing, purple blood crossed the air in slow motion and landed on a nearby, demolished wall. Without questioning the gift, weary and thirsty concrete soaked up the substance with all enthusiasm it could muster. Steel rods growing out of the grey mass were flowers planted in a crashed clay pot. The liquid wasn't enough to bring them back to life. It was too late for that.

Soon after blood, a full body followed. It came in flying, having lost its balance and stopped at the concrete wall, tearing a portion of it in the process. The hit to the jaw was so clean it sent a few of the creature's many fangs plummeting down onto the floor like heavy raindrops before a storm.

Standing high at seven feet the creature's body was covered in dark grey husk with two insect-like arms arched downward growing out of its chest and another two connected to what humans refer to as shoulder blades, arched upward, creating a look similar to pincers. Such set of limbs had a considerable reach but limited maneuverability. The creature's head was darker than its arms and torso, looking almost black and similarly to its back it was covered with numerous small horns growing out of the skin. The head boasted a terrifying, elliptical jaw filled with fangs all around it, soaked in a mixture of saliva and purple blood. Above it, a set of three obsidian eyes formed a menacing triangle. The eyes were capable of looking in different directions giving the creature a certain advantage during combat. Possibly the only flaw in the creature's physique was its ability to maintain balance, which was connected to its unimpressive lower body. The torso was prolonged almost all the way down to the floor where a dozen feet was responsible for balancing out the stature and moving in a fluent manner. It caused the creature to possess a somewhat restricted pliability.

He knew about it and decided to take advantage of that fact. Throughout the duel he tried to outmaneuver the creature using dodging techniques and his innate celerity. He had to depend on his wits and use the knowledge of his surroundings well if he was to have any success in battle.

As the creature recovered its senses it let out sounds of modulated panting filled with anger and hate. It began to spew saliva all over the floor. Using its upper strength it stood up ready to charge at its opponent again. It focused its eyes at the man who was feeling signs of fatigue and suffered from fractured bones in his body. His ragged clothes were torn to shreds and fabrics were glued to his skin like leeches wherever there was an open wound.

The man reared back a bit awaiting the charge and preparing another swift and decisive strike. The creature's mad rage was unstoppable if it wasn't met with quick thinking and great agility. Fortunately for the man, he possessed both and as soon as the charge commenced, he jumped onto a pile of rubble and launched himself above creature's arms and drove his foot straight between its eyes. The creature lost its balance again and the man tumbled over broken furniture. Such maneuvers were starting to take its toll and he knew if he was to be victorious he had to end the fight sooner than later.

The creature sensed the man's vulnerable position and rolled over dealing a strike with its left arms piercing through his thigh. The man let out a terrifying scream, followed it by a stream of curse words. He managed to wrangle himself from underneath the creature's pin. He rolled over a few times gaining some distance and quickly torn his sleeve away in desperate attempt to close the wound. He tied a lousy knot and hid behind what was left of a wall. The creature shook its head and stood up leaving a pool of dense, purple blood on the ground right next to the dark red pool of the man's blood.

The man looked around and found one of the steel rods to be lying around separately from the concrete wall. At that moment in time, it looked like a blessed ancient sword forged to fight evil powers. He took it in his hands and sprinted, although heavily limited by his limp, toward ruined staircase. To his fortune, it was possible to jump over the gaps and climb onto another floor. The creature noticed his escape and looked up through the massive hole in the ceiling. It saw the man gasping for air and trying to recover what was left of his strength. The creature seemed to taunt the man angrily, inviting his attack. It clawed at the ceiling's edge trying to reach up. The man was preparing his next attack.

He could feel burning pain in all his muscles. He felt like he was going to boil and explode in millions of pieces, painting the ruined building like a mad impressionist. He examined his wounds and patched up some of them to stop as much blood loss as he was able to.

After a few minutes he was ready to strike again. Without taking much of a run he jumped onto the creature's shoulders, somehow avoiding claws and arms and in an instant stabbed the creature three times in the head, piercing through its armor. The creature let out a terrifying screech, a high-pitched sonic explosion that shattered remaining glass pieces and completely deafened the man. While the man struggled to remove the rod from the creature's head in order to plunge it again, he found himself fighting for balance. The creature began to whirlwind desperately and furiously filled with pain and blood craze, flailing its arms, cutting the man's flesh. Both of them were screaming in their own voices creating a dreadful song. The man was torn between clinging onto the steel rod, risking further injuries or letting go and facing unexpected outcome. The steel rod was glowing purple from the creature's blood and it finally slid out causing the man to be sent flying on the wall. The breaking of bones was audible and the man fell onto the floor, face in the ground. He coughed up blood and shook his head in attempt to remove mist and dizziness from his sight. He was covered in a mixture of dust and blood, both purple and red.

Meanwhile, the creature was still screeching, clawing at its own eyes, ineffectually covering the holes where the rod pierced its husk like a sailor trying to stop the leaking in his ship. It was rocking back and forth, side to side, being close to falling and then regaining balance. It wasn't fully aware of its surroundings as it neared the edge of the building ever closer and closer.

The man looked up and noticed the creature facing him and having a long distance down due to the lack of a wall behind it. It was now or never for both of them. The creature almost overcame the pain but still looked confused and was blinded by severe blood flow like a purple curtain over a window. The man held onto the remnants of his strength and managed to recover himself. He was barely standing up, leaning on over his knees with tremendous effort he took a deep breath and filled with adrenaline rushed forward without feeling any pain. The creature noticed him and tried to defend itself but just before facing the creature's outstretched arms the man slid onto the floor and with all his power and momentum he pierced the creature's torso, pushing it over the edge. He was unable to stop himself from following the creature's trajectory and was now descending toward their demise. He wasn't losing hope yet as he clung onto the steel rod, thinking he could still be saved by falling onto the creature's body.

A hollow sound of a heavy drop hitting the surface filled the air for a prolonged second. A cloud of dust rose up atop of a pile of rubble like wild animals flushed out into the open. After a long while it slowly began to thin its ranks, calming down and lying down politely, revealing two bodies stacked on top of each other. A pool of red and purple joined like yin and yang served as a grim floor bed. There were no signs of life, no movement, no hope, until something, someone let out a quiet groan…