A City Of Thieves Poem by David Lacey

Within a city of thieves
There lies a treasure unknown.
Upon an autumnal breeze
The birds of prey have flown.
Upon the bridge across the river
Lay a man buck toothed – insane
Upon the bridge across the river
Lay a girl of mirrored shame.

Both conceal a secret
To both the secret is concealed
All that lay between them
A pale shade of realities veil.
Our vagabond is weary
He seeks room within the inn
He’s begging for a saviour
He’s begging for some skins.

To chase the rainbow dragon
It’s all he’s ever known
Within his heart the future shines
As he sits upon his throne.
Majestic in his manner
He is the Emperor it seems
Yet his rule is his kingdoms hammer
And it hath shattered fragile dreams.

The Empress sat beside him
Laughs at the folly of fools
She awaits the kiss of morning
To send the children out to school.
Versed in Homeric hymn they sing
Bringing love of the muse upon the wing
Ringing bells as Le Fey ride on in
Procession with the Queen of Twilight Realms.

All is lost within their hearts
Though inherent gold is clear to see
Blessed are the memories of
Those that made us free.
Those who died for love of family
Those who died for love of friends
Those who died without a memory
Those who died without an end.


Each thief reminds the other
Of his love for kindred blood,
Each loves and hates his brother,
Each knows that he could
Kill without arrangements,
He could kill without a care
He could kill for lack of faith
He could kill for faith is there.

In passion he may ravage
In passion he may rule.
Will he await the kiss of morning
To know the beast of midnights duel?

Will the question be un answered
Or forever lay unasked
Will the answer be remembered
Will our caring ever last?
Are we not those past and future souls
That make us one in union whole
Are we not those ever singing birds?
Are we not those who wish to be heard?

So sing, sing for the day realm
Sing, sing for the night realm
And know the kiss of our twilight queen
Know the kiss of living dreams
And through nightmares shall you stride
Un ashamed, beyond the bridge
Unafraid to walk and never thinking to hide,
Thus is our potential to stand beyond the
City gates and to know the beauty of our land
But to understand that we must suffer at the hands
Of those that would cloud our judgement if we are
Ever to strangle obscurity and hold in sweet caress
The most clear of truths complete.

We must stride throughout the mountain range
We must swim the ocean sky
We must know friends as never strangers
We must know to never sigh
Unless in acceptance of our nature
And of our natures creation grand
We must know to question always
In an attempt to understand.

We may at times learn more from thieves
Than we can from saints and mothers
Just as upon the summer breeze
The future may be muttered.

Guttered fools fed upon the bread they find
May be no less blind than the highest priesthood
For life in its forms holds its own storms true
For each of us unique. Fear not the raindrop,
Fear not the hail, praise to the mountain top,
Praise to those that sail the ocean sky and
Never sigh upon there failings. Fear not the storm
Upon the horizon but embrace the calm you feel
For it may no longer be known to you as real
After eternity within the vortex unwinding.

Unique in destiny are we, each path known
Only to the fates, never early, never late
Do we walk the path of our own choosing.
Snowflake, hailstone, raindrop, each unique,
Each have destiny untold, each are a tale unfolding
Into Our Mothers spirit, feeding her, pleasing her
When we are not raping and abusing her but
Blessing her with libations and requesting her
Acceptance. Within this city of ours, within this
City where the hours are days, where the years
Are millennium upon the soul, each one of us is
As whole as we could ever wish to be.

Each has the ability to see all that they could wish to see
For to leave is to run but to return is to live
For to leave is to turn from the sun and all the love we could give
To those souls upon the bridge across the river shallow,
Pale veils of realities illusion bind them still in watertight.

For each are as radiant as the spirit of nature divine.
Each are as sublime as they are in and out of time.
Within the city walls I feel at one with all
With the filth that soaks the streets
With rag skinned harlots calling out to me
Here I feel free in knowing I can leave
But upon the breeze I hear a call to my spirit to stay
For these days are the days in which thieves delight
Beyond a want for wrong or right
Each from the other may take
But in unison they partake and love binds them,
Though they may be blind to its power upon them.

Such honesty in their eyes for each would admit
To you the profession they choose,
Assassins, Merchants, Dealers parade these streets
Yet in every face you meet shall you be greeted by
A glint in the eye that welcomes you to heaven.

The country folk beyond the limits of the city walls
Hold no interest nor pity for those souls bound upon the bridge
For they know nothing of their suffering but of the beauty
That is there’s, for the country beyond the core is fruitful
And in merry hamlets across the globe may any man
Live in ignorance of the suffering of his sibling spirits.

Within the city we are confronted by that which we could so easily ignored,
And of course many choose to do exactly that, yet those that see are strengthened
And to embrace nature we may run but embrace ourselves we must always return
At times back to the hub of our awakening, for it is when people meet that history
Is made. Who knows what corners to avoid,

Beauty cannot be thus if it does not awake the demon dormant within us all.

Cutthroat mentalities hold no prejudice upon nationality
For any soul may be target of those without regret.

In the centre of the city there is a marketplace
Here there stands an elder of the city,
A silver beard wisps its way towards the ground
And behind a mask of ancient truth stare
Eyes of wisdom beyond the capabilities of man.
He watches over the proceedings, watches men
In their greed claim to know what they need
When it is no more than a material illusion they pursue.
Throughout the rush of the place, he perceives faith in the
Workings of the Fate and their tiding and he consoles
Himself that no man alive may hide from the thread cut short.

Death awaits each of us as a destiny foreseen.
Death awaits each of us as a celestial screen
Death awaits each of us as a blanket sleep
Death awaits each of us as an ocean deep

And we may swim within its waters
And we may adorn our words with morbid themes
And we may know death as our lover
As we may know death in our dreams.

Within a city of thieves
A lustful honesty breathes
To be by destiny relieved
Upon frozen fallen leaves.

Would you breathe for death?
Would you die for breath?