------THE FAITHFUL------

Empty, passing, turned away-
Fading, leaving, lost to time.
A single face fades in the night-
Red and black to gray, then naught.

Turn aside, oh turn aside-
From greedy eye and hungry blade.
Out of sight, the mask is out of mind-
Foundations shake as the music fades.

Dancing, whirling, masks in hand-
Reveling, sundering, but fewer and few-
From scalpel's arts to hunger's throne-
And far from Engine, blade, and home.

Who shall wait for the Lord's return?
Alone and waiting, robes in the night.
A statue, crumbling and fading to dust?
Or strand of beads, a red-carved mask?

But here in fury, let Him return-
The Master in glory, in crimson and black.
From halls beneath to throne above-
Passed no longer - returning in rage.

------THE LOVER------

my love he took the
knife to me, in rage in
love in this red-stained
desire. take the mask from
my face, the laces from my
corset. let me descend - and
forget these bonds, or perhaps-
replace them. forget the past, and
let it return - crimson-stained, you
don the mask - I shall follow. tell me
only the path - we shall carve it in my
skin, my love - and don the mask in His name.

------THE BESEECHING------

the crimson knife, the
blood-stained mask, and
rage - always rage. come
forth in conquering, Lord,
beneath thy blood-red banner-
we shall follow. give but the
word, in Your name I will worship-
let these false Gods fall, let the
thousand heresies be cleansed in Your
name by my unworthy hands. give but the
word - my quill will pour ten thousand words
in Your name, my hands will bring corpses to
Your altar. give the word, Crimson Lord - and I am
yours.

------THE RESURRECTION------

crimson and black and the
grey stones beneath my knees-
words spill from my veins.

silk and stone and blood-
crimson in my visage, and black-
His signs, forgotten.

faith and fire and lust-
returns while I burn in hatred-
rage, to resurrect the past.

let me take the quill, then-
may my blood-stained words be worthy-
and in worship, become yet more.