These are only words

I found the way
by the sound of your voice
So many things to say
these are only words
Now I've only words
Once there was a choice
Did I give you much?
well you gave me things
You gave me stars to hold
songs to sing
I only want to be loved
and I hurt and I hurt
and the damage is done
You gave me songs to sing
Shadow and sun
Earthbound, starblind
tied to someone
Why didn't I stay, why couldn't I?
So many lives to cross
but I just had to leave
There goes everything, everything
Can I meet you there?
God knows the place
and I'll touch your hand
kiss your face
We only want to be loved
we only want to be loved
I only want to be loved
and I hurt and I hurt
and the damage is done
you gave me songs to sing
shadow and sun
earthbound, starblind
tied to someone

David Sylvian - Damage

This is how it goes

This is how it goes You'll get angry at yourself And think you can think of something else And I'll hear the clanging of the bells Cause I can't stop you baby Cause I don't have the bribery in place No bright shiny surface to my face So I won't go near the marketplace With what I'm selling lately Cause this is how it goes Cause it's all about drugs, it's all about shame And whatever they want Don't tell them your name

This is how it goes One more failure to connect With so many how could I object And you, what on earth did you expect Well I can't tell you baby When this is how it goes Cause it's all about drugs, it's all about shame And whatever they want, don't tell them your name

So I try to hold on While you try to let go You won't tell me it's gone But baby I'll know Baby I'll know Baby I'll know Baby I'll know

Aimee Mann

The long trek

Nobody knew how long they had traveled. Of the ones that had originally set out on this journey to safety and freedom, none survived. It was the sons and daughters of the sons and daughters of that fabled time that kept on going forward, forever moved on by the tales of their forefathers. And even though their reality had become legendary among their people, they still knew by heart the reasons for their fleeing. There was not a child among them that didn’t know the tales of hardship and terror that had made them undertake the perilous and uncertain journey into the wilderness. Every time these stories were told, a hush fell over all those who listened, be they young or old. They told of a cruel kingdom, an empire built on the bones of a cursed people. Countless generations of slaves had toiled and bled for the greater glory of their masters, building palaces and tombs ever more fantastic, while their own people died and suffered more under the yoke of every new ruler. Many questioned the fact that they had been enslaved for so long, held in check not so much by the bloody reprisals of their masters, but more by the horrors that awaited them should they ever choose to flee the kingdom, surrounded as it was by an endless expanse of wilderness.
Of all of those that had tried to flee into the wild, just a handful had come back. Of those lucky enough to return, just a few were sane or unharmed enough to recount their experience. Before facing the ultimate penalty facing all those who tried to flee: summary execution.

Reaching the sanctuary

When the Destitute first came upon the blessed isle, it was at the mouth of the Dark River. Tired, decimated and close to despair they had been traveling along the shores of the river for the last few months. Even though the river itself was treacherous and demons sometimes ventured out of its pitch black depths to feed on the unweary travelers, it also provided a small measure of food, a bitter tasting fish that could be lured by firelight. The river also provided water and even protection. Some of the fearsome predators that roamed the forests seemed to be afraid of the water and stayed mostly clear of the river. For the last remaining survivors it was like walking on a knife-edge. During the last weeks of their trek the river had become wider and shallower, with marshy islands appearing in its wake. Birds nested in these green islands but no-one dare to venture there. Even though the river was shallower, there were still strong currents that could sweep a fullgrown man away. So they kept to their diet of fish and whatever they could find in the forest underbrush. Amid the Lost Ones there were rumours and half-uttered predictions. The change in the river and the sight of birds provided a strong sense of hope. A hope they almost didn’t dare utter. The Destitute were more suspicious of their prophesying than ever and came down hard on anyone claiming the omens were a sign that the promised land was near. Still, secretly all of them clung to any spark of hope.