#rosie just destroyed the flowers i got my husband

[binguser]

sweet boy vs evil girl

[daddycardan]

Hi would u like to do some Jurdan prompt? After the QoN synopsis there’s so much to imagine

omg i wrote this thing really quickly i hope there are no embarrassing typos and grammar mistakes in it. this is probably the quickest hc i’ve ever written, eventho it still took like an hour, and also just sayin that i still hate taryn with all my heart but i can’t deny the twin vibe is very catchy

Jude lies draped over the couch, still in her streetwear

Balenciaga shoes she bought the other day from Vivi’s enchanted money

Airpods in her ears, listening to Killer Queen

Phone in her hand, scrolling through Instagram registering all the likes she got on her recent post without any particular interest

She basically got over this nonsense faerie shit and is living her best life

Vivi walks in, a wide smile on her face as she hops down on the couch and drapes her arms around Jude’s shoulders

She was never particularly huggy so this sparks a hint of suspicion in Jude

She can see her mouth forming words but she can’t make out what she’s saying

“WHAT.”

“I SAID TAKE THOSE FUCKING AIRPODS OUT,” Vivi shouts through the music

She takes them out, already grumpy at her sister

“What.”

“We have a little surprise here,” Vivi squeaks with overplayed excitement

“Umm. Cool. What is it?” Jude holds back a yawn

“Oh don’t try to play it cool,” Vivi smacks her shoulder, dragging her up on her feet. “It’s in the kitchen. I bet you will be VERY surprised!”

Jude rolls her eyes in silent disagreement, but stops protesting and makes her way to the kitchen with Vivi in her back

It is their third sister, Taryn standing beside the counter

Very awkwardly

She is dressed in a long green gown, barefoot, with bracelets of braided flowers around her wrists—so obviously out of place that it hurts Jude’s eyes

“Jude,” she says sweetly and goes for a long, warm hug

Against her better judgement, Jude swallows her bile and hugs her back

Her twin’s touch feels foreign and offensive and it scares her

Just how much have they drifted apart from each other?

When she looks at her pure, rosy face she sees tears in her eyes, and already knows that something is wrong

Taryn wouldn’t just show up for the sole reason of visiting her beloved sisters

She is up to something, and this realization makes Jude’s stomach lurch

“Oh gosh, I haven’t seen you in ages, you two have no idea for how long I’ve dreamt of a reunion like this” Vivi starts chattering, completely oblivious to the fact that Taryn looks completely destroyed despite her natural loveliness and that Jude is as hostile as she’s ever been

As Vivi starts making coffees, Jude and Taryn lock glances as they both descend to their seats on the opposite sides of the kitchen table

As they stare at each other, despite all the hatred and betrayal, Jude senses a deep, mutual agreement between the two of them

Taryn hasn’t said a word yet, but Jude already knows that something went wrong in Faerie

She sees a familiar, fierce glint in her eyes and realizes that it’s as though she’s looking into a mirror

“I’ll go to the toilet, I’ll be back in a sec,” Jude says suddenly, pushing back her chair and heading towards the bathroom

It doesn’t take half a minute for Taryn to follow

They lock the door and stare at each other once again for a silent moment

“What happened?” Jude asks finally, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub

Taryn’s lips press together into a straight line as she’s trying to hold her tears back, but nevertheless, they roll out onto her cheeks

Jude doesn’t comfort her but she listens carefully to her story about Locke being an ignorant and scandalously unfaithful husband

About Locke’s backhanded compliments about Taryn’s mortality, Taryn’s sensitivity, Taryn’s fragility

The way he makes soft jokes about the fact that Taryn is going to grow old and ugly

And that he might grow bored of her in time

The way he takes complete strangers into their bed, as though he is trying to trigger her

And that he discusses their private life in court as though it was nothing more special than the weather

By the end of the story, Taryn breaks down entirely, crying her heart out and using toilet paper to wipe her tears

“Please Jude, don’t tell me you told me so, I don’t want to hear this from you,” she sobs. “I can’t do this anymore, I feel like with every lonely day I spend in that godforsaken manor I lose a little bit of myself. I am becoming his creature, I am wasting away. Please, Jude, I beg you, do something, do anything! I can’t do this alone. I have no one but you.”

Jude sniffs once, considering

“Jude, you must—“

“Do you realize that you have been the biggest bitch in the entire universe?” Jude says abruptly. “When I needed help, when I was wasting away you literally had no fucks to give. When I was being played with and used as a pawn by Locke, you had no fucks to give. When I was hunted in the woods like an animal, shot in the leg and almost murdered by Locke, you had to fucks to give. You schemed behind my back for my disadvantage and betrayed me, not once but twice. So at this point, dear sister, I don’t have any obligations. I am not supposed to give any more fucks than you did, right? This is but fair.”

At this, Taryn buries her face in her hands and continues weeping, her shoulders shaking, her entire body burning with shame

She obviously cannot say anything that would excuse her actions, so she plays the victim, Jude registers

Jude genuinely doesn’t much feel like helping her, but that little glint of revenge she saw in the opportunity didn’t let her back down

“But,” she continues, her voice a tone softer, “I hate Locke just as much as you do, if not more. And eventhough I did not wish to get into the business of faeries again, I might have changed my mind.”

Taryn goes quiet, slowly raising her face from her hands, staring at Jude red-eyed

“I will help you, but on my own conditions. You can decide whether you want my help or not, but I will not change my approach.” She falls silent for a moment. “We kill him.”

Taryn looks shocked and she stands unnaturally still, gaping at her twin

But then Jude notices the same heated gleam in those innocent eyes that she saw on herself when she looked into the mirror, sick and feverish from the poisons she once took

She looks at Taryn and sees her own soul in her eyes

A slow smile spreads on both their lips

[hereliesbitches--me]

"Happy Valentine's Day, my darling." Eddie holds a box of donuts in one hand and a bouquet of yellow roses, white tulips, and lavender. He was smiling with vigor and love... A warmth in his eyes for his beautiful wife. "It's your name on the day, love... I've got a surprise for you tonight. I hope you'll like it... I love you so much."

“I thought we said we weren’t doing anything this year..”

Rosie can’t help the meekness in her voice, or the flush of color in her cheeks when Eddie surprised her with gifts. Soft emotions had a way of swaying her presentation when she felt embarrassed. After years of marriage, there comes a point where you aren’t sure if there really was a need for gifting on Valentine’s day. Eddie had already given her the world.. what more could there be? Eddie’s own needs were simplistic , and he always seemed to get flustered when she went and bought some outrageously expensive gift for him. They were married for a good 12 years, and still counting. Yes, their relationship had its ups and downs, but she would never stop loving her darling husband. No matter the heartache or strife they experienced. 

The woman, who held an image of cool and confidence in the public, now seemed to wither into a bashful school girl under the effects of her crush. Rosie’s pupils dilated with that catlike fondness, widening with innocence as she stared at the gifts presented to her. Her ears tilted slightly, her tail tucked around her leg.. The scent of donuts could make her mouth water, and the the vibrant colors of flowers bring a rush of emotion through her chest. They were just too pretty.. The entire gesture was just so sweet, it was an emotion Rosie was unaccustomed to in her day to day life. She was a tragedy of Shakespearean proportion, dressed in the colors of the night, unused to the touch of lightness. After their marriage had been drowned in sorrows for so long in the past months, to see Eddie smiling again, with a life and love in his eyes – the swirling emotions in her chest were indescribable. Powerful enough to move her with the simple gesture alone, her eyes glossed over as the heat of her cheeks burned in her sockets.

“ You remembered what I liked..my greatest weakness…”

Those damn donuts would go right to her stomach, but it would be worth it. Now she’s shaking ever so slightly, her smile tight as emotions grip her. Her head remained bowed to avoid his eyes, but she stepped forward quickly to meet him. She tried to laugh some; It came out more like a croak with the welling tears. Her hands reached for the flowers, though she hesitated to touch the delicate white. There existed a fear in her that she killed everything she touched. She tainted it with darkness, and corrupted it to the point of no return. Would she touch those tulips, and they turn black? Would she touch Eddie and destroy his smile all at once?

Her steps slowed to a stop just before him, hands suspended in reach, fingers outstretched but never to touch. The angel feels her breath caught in her throat.What will you do? What can you give him? What have you done?Rosie feels suspended before his eyes, caught by confliction in what she should do. 

 “ I love them so much, Eddie..  And I love you, more than you would ever know ..”

She spoke in a hushed voice for only him to hear. Emotions swelling in her like a sea.. she lurched forward despite herself, and buried her face into his chest for sanctuary. 

“ I’ll be happy no matter where you take me, darling...As long as you’re with me, I’ll always love it.”

[ssimagines]

Reid’s Monster: Epilogue|| Spencer Reid

NOT MY GIF

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: 1651

Summary:  Epilogue. The rest of their lives

Warnings: Halloween Oriented triggers, Frankenstein triggers, HALLOWEEN THEMES, scar, FLUFFFFFFFFFFFF

Long Note:  Just so you know I know halloween can be triggering, please don’t read if you have a problem with halloween or scars. Thought these are necessarily very ready triggers at this point they can still be triggering.

This is sorta based off an imagine series for Andy Biersack that I read two years ago and I would like to credit the author so thank you No-love-for-the-sick. This is a variation on your idea, but I am trying to put my own spin on it.

I look how good I did about posting!!

I know in the gif it says it’s a boy and their baby is a girl, but Spencer with Baby was too precious to pass up. 

Last part! give the rest of the parts some love if you haven’t. I will taking requests again. I might even do a 3 part mini series for the Christmas holiday depending on the response I get! let me know!

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3    Part 4    Part 5     Part 6    Part 7

Masterlist

You laid in the hospital bed tired beyond belief. You had fallen asleep shortly after you gave birth to your baby, but it hadn’t lasted long nor had it really helped you all that much. You opened your heavy eyelids to be greeted by the sight of your boyfriend holding your baby girl in his arms.

When Spencer saw your eyes open, he smiled at you brightly. He titled the head of your infant daughter up so you could see her beautiful potato like face. A lazy drug riddled smile graced your lips as you looked at the baby in front of you.

“Say hi to mommy,” Spencer said. The little girl in his arms was wrapped snuggly in the baby blue blanket that Penelope had knitted for her. Her head was the only thing that peaked out of the blanket and a tuft of brown hair peaked out around the hat that JJ had bought for her.

You reached out to Spencer and your daughter beaconing him to bring her closer to you. Spencer brought her and set her in your arms. You scooted over on the bed so that Spencer could join you. He laid down on his side beside you and let an arm wrap around your shoulder. You leaned your head against his chest and looked down lovingly at the small child in your arms.

“How long have it been asleep?” you asked.

“Only about two hours,” Spencer said. He brought an arm to rest against your arms around your child. He held you while you held her.

“Has the team come by?” you asked.

You had gone into labor in the middle of the night last night. You remember Spencer calling JJ in the middle of the night. You were in the early stages of labor all through the rest of the night. When morning came, Spencer had to call into work alerting the rest of the team of your baby’s birth.

“At least one of them has been here since this morning,” Spencer said. “They’ve been coming in shifts. I think Rossi is here now, but I haven’t left our little girl’s side since she was born.”

“You’re a good father, Spencer,” you whispered softly.

The newborn in your arms yawned opening her small mouth wide. You smiled at the baby in your arms.

“I think I know what we should name her,” you said softly as the baby started to open her eyes.

“And what’s should her name be?” Spencer asked.

“Rosaline Diana Reid,” your voice was soft as you ran a finger gently down the side of the child’s face. “After JJ’s sister and your mother. We could call her Rosie like we talked about,

“I like it,” Spencer said smiling. “Hi Rosie, your mommy and I love you.”

You looked to your boyfriend with a wide smile and placed a kiss on his lips. Your family was whole now.

It had been a year since Spencer and your daughter was born. You were sitting down waiting to give your daughter her first birthday cake. You had seen a video on the internet where a mother on her child’s first birthday gave them a cake to destroy, and you had to decide to do the same. JJ thought it was a great idea, and now you were in the middle of waiting for Spencer with the cake.

“Spencer,” you called.

“Coming, Coming,” Spencer called back as he slowly made his way into the dinning room carrying the purple cake that you had made earlier that day. You smiled at the goofy man as your daughter banged her hands happily on the tray of her high chair. She had seen her father and that had caused your sweet girl to fill with excitement.

All at once everyone in the room started to singing happy birthday. You looked around the room as you sang a smile on your face. A little over two years ago, you were nothing you were spare parts of dead people as weird as that sounds. You had come a long way since them. Now you were celebrating your daughter’s first birthday with the man that you loved and a family that you had made. It all seemed so unreal.

“Happy Birthday dear Rosie,” everyone sang. Spencer put the cake down in front of your child. The little brunette girl wasted no time grabbing on to the cake as the song finished.

Everyone watched for a moment as she started to flip cake all over. Eventually, they all returned to their conversations. Spencer came and sat on the other side of your daughter’s high chair.

“Can you believe we made this,” you said in awe of the child. Spencer chuckled.

“Honestly, no,” he responded. “I would have never guessed this would be my life three years ago, but I could not be happier with the way that it has turned out.”

You looked lovingly at your boyfriend. He was still looking at the little girl who was engrossed with the mess of cake. Your eyes drifted to the baby. She had already gotten a good chunk of it in her hair. She had figured out it tasted good as she was now showing her hand in her mouth greedily.

“Y/N,” Spencer said. You turned back to see him in front of you down on one knee. Your hand shot up to your mouth. You knew what this was. The room had fallen silent as everyone watched. Spencer took a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up for you to see. It was a simple solitaire diamond. It was plain, but you loved it.

“Y/F/N, you are the best thing that happened to me. When you came into my life two years ago, I knew that you were the love of my life. Now we have the most beautiful little girl who is just my whole world. I love you so much for this life that you’ve given me, so will you marry me?”

“Yes Spencer of course,” you wasted no time responding throwing your arms around his neck. There was clapping from the people in attendance, but you didn’t hear them. You were to caught up in the man you loved. Spencer put the ring on your finger and was about to kiss you when cake hit both of your face.

There was a small giggle from the little girl as both her parents turned to look at her.

“Mama,” she said laughing. A large smile spread across both your faces.

You and Spencer had opted for a long engagement. You liked the idea of being engaged, and it had been amazing to have the time to adjust to the idea.

Now you were standing in the bridal room of the small venue looking at your dress in the mirror. You looked beautiful, but something was keeping you in the small room.

JJ walked in carrying Rosie in her arms. Rosie was now a little over two and was carrying the basket with rose petals in it. She was your flower girl and looked so cute in the satin pink dress. JJ was wearing a matching colored dress that looked really good on her.

“Are you ready?” JJ said. You looked at her reflection not knowing how to respond.

“Mommy marry Daddy now,” Rosie said with a large smile. Her baby teeth on full view. You smiled at your little girl and took a deep breath.

“Ready,” you said turning to the girls.

“Then let’s go before Reid gets scared that you aren’t coming,” JJ said.

You laughed at her joke and followed he out of the dressing room. Garcia handed you and JJ your bouquets and got Rosie ready for her entrance. Rossi offered you his arm which you gladly took.

You had asked him to walk you down the aisle. The tears in his eyes at that moment answered your question. Now you were grateful that the man you considered a father was here next to you. Rosie started down the aisle followed by Garcia and then JJ leaving just you and Rossi.

“You look beautiful,” Rossi whispered into your ear.

“Thank you,” you said. “for everything.”

“Of course,” he said patting your hand that was wrapped around his arm. Together you started your walk down the aisle.

Spencer was dancing with Rosie on the dance floor as you sipped some water. You were exhausted and your feet hurt, but you were having so much fun with all the people you loved by your side.

“Mommy join,” Rosie called from her father’s arms. JJ was beside them dancing with Henry and Will was dancing with Michael. Garcia was also on the dance floor just having a ball. You smiled and went over to join your family.

Together the three of your danced happily to some song that was apparently popular now. Spencer would spin Rosie every once and a while causing her to let out joyful laughter.

When the song slowed down, Luke requested to dance with Rosie. She gladly accepted the offer from her favorite uncle. She had a small crush on him and you couldn’t blame her. Both you and Spencer had agreed that Luke Alvez was one handsome man.

“Can I have this dance, Mrs. Reid?” Spencer said offering you his hand.

“Of course, Dr. Reid,” you said taking his hand. Spencer pulled you into him as you moved slowly together to the music. You rested your head on your husband’s shoulder with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  

You looked around the room at all the people who were here with you from Diana to JJ to your daughter. This was it. This was your family. You might not have been brought into this world a conventional way, but you wouldn’t trade a second of your life for anything.

TAGGED: @ultrarebelheart

[ionica01]

Day 7: BREATH AND PULSE

Hello again! Today is the last day of AlMei week, and it aure as hell has been a ride! I hope you have enjoyed it at least as much as I have, because it was absolutely amazing! I'm glad I got to be part of it. And now, here we go: last day, breath and pulse! I’ve been stationed in this house for nearly two years. Before, I had been stuck in a small apartment, where my sides almost touched the walls and every creak of the mattress echoed in the dim-lit room. It was such a sad environment, populated by a short blonde boy and a person always wearing an armour. They came home in the late hours of the night, if they come, when nothing moved around the city anymore, except for a lost care or drunk guy. When they came, the floor would squeak and the bedsheets would shuffle until the blonde lay down on my mattress and unbraided his hair. Sometimes, he’d take out a pocket watch and whirl it around, throwing it in the air only to catch it again and open it with a sigh. “I promise we’ll get our bodies back”, he told the armoured boy after the display, whatever that meant. Their discussions never seemed to make much sense to me, talking about things such as Philosopher’s Stones and Equivalent Exchange. The one in the armour spent his nights on the bed nearby, but he never seemed to sleep. My brother told me he didn’t even feel heavy enough to be a person, and that he had a feeling he was like a ghost. If he is right, I must say I’ve never seen a kinder ghost. On one occasion, he brought a bony, starving cat to the room and petted and fed it throughout the night, despite his Brother’s mumbles. As a matter of fact, my actual owner also seems to like cats very much. Sometimes, he brings one or two of them for several days, only to look after them and make sure they regain their strength. He pets them much in the same was the armour boy did, with undescribable love and compassion. In this room, there is more space than in the previous one I’ve inhabited. The owners have placed me in a pleasantly beige chamber, where everything smells like fresh detergent, exotic tea and books. There is also a whole wall covered in Alchemical and Medical texts, documents and research. In fact, when I was moved in, I’ve noticed another room dedicated to these fully. Every evening, the holders always fall asleep with a book in their hands, which slowly escapes the grasp of their fingers as they nod off, eventually landing on the soft pillows with a muffled thud. The atmosphere here is always calm. Unlike the pressing one in my previous apartment, I get to host a rather cute couple. There is a man with dark blonde hair and golden eyes, who reminds me a bit of my previous short owner, and a woman with dark hair and pale complexion. From the way she carries herself, I think she is not from these places: she smells like exotic spices and strange flowers and wears her hair in buns. He, however, seems to feel at home in this country, with his short haircut and soft voice. The two of them never get in bed unless they are together, so I can only assume they are a couple. Even so, they never act too cheesy with each other. There are the natural good night kisses he plants on her unbraided hair or the quick good morning pecks she uses to wake him up, but other than that, they are never grossly intimate. Sometimes, he’d wake up first and quietly stare at her sleeping figure until her eyes fluttered open. Even if I could talk, I don’t think I would bother such a tranquil stage that even the nature seems to bless. When she’s the first one to be kissed by the morning rays and her hair gets toyed with by the fresh eastern breeze, she gets up slowly and starts her day by syncing with the nature and with her sleeping husband. From time to time, I get to witness their morning workouts, a swift succession of movements that look like a mesmerizing dance to me. Being as massive as I am, I can’t even phantom ever moving like that (when there is need of two people only to lift me and I need to be turned on the side to enter through a door). The two of them, however, make it seem easy. They anticipate each other’s movements and dodge, strike again and flex, bend their arms and knees in a never-ending cycle of offensive attacks and defensive strategies. If they hadn’t called it “fighting training”, I could have sworn it was a dance as exotic as my female owner. I’ve heard their names often enough to remember them: he is called Alphonse and he refers to her as Mei. I’ve heard it roll off their tongues slowly and sweetly, like honey when you pick it up with a spoon and it lingers in the air between the hungry mouth and the jar; I’ve heard them whisper them before wishing each other sweet dreams; I’ve heard them whispered rushedly in the middle of the night when one of them hears a strange sound or when they worry about each other; I’ve heard them moaned in moments of intimacy only I have witnessed and which I won’t disclose; I’ve heard them said in angry voices when they argue over the other’s safety. Even so, I prefer referring to them as him and her. It feels more general, and it helps me believe that one day, I may again meet owners that care so deeply for each other. Bu today, it’s not their names I hear. Instead, I feel them on the mattress, heavier than usual. I feel a third pulse beating besides the two I have become accustomed to and a third breath warming the bed covers. And I heard both of them gushing over the person cradled into her arms. Trisha, they call her. She must be only a few days old, a bundle of rosy meet and tear-stained cheeks. She’s covered by white clothes and wrapped up in a warm blanket, despite it being spring already. Honestly, I don’t get why they’re so excited about her and what urges them to hold her so close and sing to her when she cries. For me, she simply destroys the balance my owners have created with her screams and constant need of attention. It’s not until she falls asleep that I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet. “She’s beautiful.” he whispers, hugging his wife and kissing her forehead, all the while looking at the baby. I don’t get what he deems as beautiful: I think it’s simply annoying. To my surprise, she nods in agreement and leans her head on his shoulder, obviously exhausted. They both fall asleep shortly afterwards, leaving me to hold all three of them in their peaceful slumber. I fixate my gaze on Trisha, trying my best to see what’s so amazing about her. While sleeping, her features have relaxed and she looks more human, yet I still wouldn’t dare call her beautiful. But then, my eyes shift involuntary to his face, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. He’s smiling in his sleep, an arm protectively wrapped around his wife and daughter. And she’s beaming as well, her face senine as she holds the sleeping bundle with both hands. I still don’t understand why they love her so much, but she makes them happy, so I try giving her another chance. In the wee hours of the morning, her eyes snap open and she takes in her surroundings. For a moment, I think she’ll start crying, but instead, she shifts in her arms and the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. Just as I’ve watched her a hundred times. I feel the little one tried to connect to her surroundings for a split second. My theory proves to be wrong when her face suddenly gets redder and she starts crying, waking her alarmed parents. While she feeds her, I can’t move my stare from the baby as I make an attempt to feel her qi and connect to it: it has only been visible for a second, but she seems to take after her parents. As her breath evens out after having eaten and her pulse steadies, I feel it again: the flame of her life tingling in this world as she becomes aware of what surrounds her. When her dad takes her in his arms and starts rocking her on his knee softly, singing a lullaby to put her to sleep, I start accepting her existence into this world and wish to see how she’ll grow up. I now feel three breath warming the mattress and three pulses beating as one each night when the family goes to sleep.

[thomasgmcelwain]

Genesis 19

Genesis 19

1 Now the two angels came to Sodom

And it was evening, Lot sat in

The city gate, would have unshod them.

He rose to meet them like his kin,

Bowed down to greet them to the ground.

2 He said "Here now, my lords, be found

To sleep this night beside my board,

As I am servant, you are lord,

Then rising early you may go

In safety to the next depot."

But they said "No, we'll spend the night

Upon the open square in sight."

3 But he insisted strongly, so

They turned in with him for to go

Into his house. He made a feast,

Baked bread, they ate it without yeast.

I came for the first time to eastern bank

Of the Euphrates. Dusk I had to thank

That from the imams' training school came out

Five young men, by the river walked about

And took me by compulsion, gave me meat

And kept me in the mosque, a special treat,

Until the evening prayers were done. I found

A bed and home for one night. I am bound

The gate of Sodom was no better place

Nor more hospitable. No stranger's face

Was seen but recognized as face of God.

Beloved, I find Your face wherever mine

Is recognized by what small mark and sign.

The kernel's sweet, though we see only pod.

4 Before they could lie down, the men

Of Sodom, old and young again,

From every quarter, here they came

All to surround the house for shame.

5 They called to Lot and said "Where are

The men who came to you tonight?

Bring out the guests from near or far

And let us get acquainted right."

From loving contemplation of the face

The evil heart will without guide give place

To lust, and lust bring forth at last the fruit

Of violence in rape to follow suit.

So great and civilized reduced in lust

And violence, sank faith to humble dust.

The heart imagines shining faith to be

Its hallmark in any depravity.

The pristine "I" remains divine through all

The byways of transgression's beck and call.

Beloved, I turn from contemplation of

Your face upon creation's screen of love

And find how easily illusion's pall

Falls on the empty heart without recall.

6 Lot went out to them through the door,

And shut the door behind him, for

7 He said "Please, do not, brothers mine,

Act wickedly, but well and fine!

8 "See now, I have two daughters of

My congregation who've had love

From no man yet. I'll bring them out

And you shall choose without a doubt

Which of you men shall marry them.

But do no harm, do not condemn

These guests of mine, and stay aloof,

For they are guests beneath my roof."

The laws of marriage never fail to stand,

And hospitality to give a hand

To traveller in the way remains for good.

All brothers must behave the way they should,

No matter what the level of their power,

Degree of wealth, no matter what the hour

Or what the vision of Your glory be.

The mystic state does not set any free

From duty to obey the divine law.

Just as the master of high algebra

Does not give up the simple two plus two,

I bow to ethics even in the pew

Of mystic brotherhood. Beloved, the roof

Casts shadows on the friend and the aloof.

9 They said "Stand back! This one came in

To live here and tell us what's sin.

Keep acting as a judge and we

Shall deal worse with you than with them.

You certainly shall not go free."

So they pressed hard, Lot tried to stem

The tide against him, but in vain,

They nearly broke the door in twain.

10 The men reached out their hands and took

Lot in the house, shut door, 11 and struck

The men who were at the doorway

Of the house with blindness, they say,

Both small and great, and so they wore

Themselves to rags to find the door.

Blindness on blindness does not stop the go

To find the door to heaven and to show

Both self and world that I am never wrong

Though rightness cannot taste my weary song

In truth. The frantic flight toward the sky

In search of spirituality and pie

Does not give up though clouds of dark and mist

Protect the frozen heights of thought, insist

That on the sunny side of firmament

There is the gold-filled pot to which I'm sent.

I shall beat down the door and show I'm brave

Who search for You, Beloved, not like a slave,

But with a virile sense ignoring doom,

A man who knows his place and well-stocked room.

12 Then the men said to Lot, "Have you

Anyone else here? Son-in-law,

Your sons, your daughters, and whom you

Have in this grand basilica,

Take all and leave this wretched place!

13 "We will destroy this place, because

The outcry of their breaking laws

Has grown great in front of YHWH's face,

And YHWH has sent us to destroy it."

14 So Lot went out not to enjoy it

But warning to his sons-in-law,

Who'd married his daughters, his awe

Did not affect them when he said

"Get up, and leave this place, for YHWH

Will spoil this city!" But his head

Was foolish to his sons-in-law

Who were not worth the talking to.

This world is upside down, and yet its folk

Walk upright as it were. My faith, I poke

My head around the corner just to see

How civilized upside down things can be.

All things continue as they ought and should

Since time was made, and mount and valley stood.

And yet a day can come when all things change,

When narrow breaks out in a further range

Of mountains, smoke on valleys, rising seas.

Who spoke of variance from routine lees

Met storms of ridicule. I make my days

Eventless, yet unique in all their ways

As I seek You, Beloved, each day anew,

Infinities of stays in what You do.

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged

Lot to hurry, "Get up, diverged,

Take wife, both daughters who are here,

Lest you be consumed in the fear

And punishment of Sodom." 16 And

While he lingered, they took his hand,

His wife's and both his daughters' too,

Since mercy came to him from YHWH,

And brought him out as they had pity,

And set him down outside the city.

Lay hold on me, Beloved, I linger here

Beneath the rosy dawn. I have no fear.

Is it not good I have no fear at all?

Is it not grand my hearing of Your call

Has well inured me to the fateful ball,

And left me set apart, serene and calm

While others frantically avoid the bomb,

The others being angels even? My

High state of spirituality, so high,

Prevents any response to hue and cry.

Is it not fine, Beloved, I know no rage

And sit emotionless from age to age?

They are but prisoners of dark illusion,

(Are they not?) who succumb to the confusion.

17 It happened, when they'd brought them out,

He said "Escape, don't turn about!

Don't look behind you, no, nor stay

Anywhere in the plain or way.

Go to the mountains, lest you be

Destroyed." 18 Then Lot spoke to them, he

Said "Please, no, O my lords! 19 "Indeed

Now, I, your servant, in my need,

Have found grace in your sight, and you

Have multiplied the mercy you

Have shown me by saving my life,

But I can't escape with my wife

Into the mountains, lest some danger

Come overtake me while a ranger

And I die. 20 "See now, this city

Is near enough for me to flee,

And it's a small one, please now give

Me leave to go there and to live."

The city is a symbol of Your beauty,

Beloved, and so I live in one as duty.

The duty to bring to the civilized

The divine message should be realized.

The mystic cup kept to oneself alone

In time turns fat and meat to tasteless bone.

So let me join the throngs in some bright city

Where men are great and women know no pity.

If I should have to live on mountain slope

Who knows what evil might destroy my hope,

Who knows what tender flowers after the rain

Might clog my path to wealth and mystic gain?

Let my soul live near possibilities

And not beneath the stars and awful trees.

21 And he said to him, "See, I grant

You your request as habitant,

And shall not overthrow this city

For which you have appealed in pity.

22 "But hurry and escape there quickly.

For I must wait for you and prickly

Till you arrive, so I can act.

That is part of my promised pact."

That's why Zoar's the city's name,

And it means small, but not to blame.

23 The sun had risen upon the land

When Lot entered Zoar with his band.

24 Then YHWH rained brimstone down with fire

On Sodom and Gomorrah, ire

From YHWH out of the heavens come

25 So He destroyed them, made them dumb,

And all the plain, the people in

The cities, and what grew for bin.

I understand Your killing all the people

And breaking down both wall and dome and steeple

With fire and brimstone fully justified.

But everything that grew on the ground died.

Are plants and flowers sinful, and is fruit

Worth nothing in Your sight, like dust and soot?

Ah, kill the worried people, Lord, but spare

The violet and coltsfoot, make not bare

The lovely earth, the fragrant ground and soil.

Curse not again the earth for human toil.

Keep brimstone on the city and the fashion,

But when it comes to wild wood, have compassion.

My I-ness with a curious willingness

Relinquishes the people You would bless.

26 But his wife looked back behind him,

Became a tower of salt for whim.

The wife of Lot, she was a comely lot

Of sack, and popular for what she'd got.

Salt of the earth, they said who knew her best.

Shoulders and head she stood above the rest.

She knew the score, and kept her man in hand,

Her husband so susceptible to grand

And noble visions, quite up in the air.

But Lot's wife handled more than was her share.

She looked back to be sure nothing forgotten

Preyed on her mind, not gold, linen or cotton.

She looked back on a life ordered, well kept,

And stood to take a hand, and stood, and slept.

Who handles well the world and life and show

Remains asleep, and salted down to mow.

27 And Abraham went early out

To where he and YHWH'd stood about.

28 Then he looked toward the city plain,

To Sodom and Gomorrah's pain,

And toward all the land of the plain,

And he saw, and indeed, the smoke

Of the land about which God spoke

Went up like smoke from a furnace.

29 And it happened, that, when alas,

Ælohim spoiled the cities on

The plain, that Ælohim went on

To mind Himself of Abraham,

And sent Lot out of all the sham

And spoil, when He destroyed the place

Where Lot had lived and shown his face.

I look at rosy dawn toward the place

Your Angel stood, and see again his face

Set in compassion and in well-sought duty.

I see again Your Angel in his beauty.

The burning love You hold to all mankind

Will not be satisfied with torn and blind,

But must take of the first and best of all

To sacrifice in sweetness and in gall.

I turn toward the flames of charity

And feel the hotness on my face, I see

The longing fires sprung quickly from Your heart

To cleanse the soul in every nook and part

Of othernesses and of other gods,

Till You alone are left above the clods.

30 Then Lot went out of Zoar and lived

Up in the mountains, negatived

Had been his living in Zoar for

Himself and both his daughters, more

Could not be borne, and so he went

To live in caves instead of tent.

31 Now the firstborn said to the younger,

"Our father, leader without hunger

Of this diminished dervish order,

Is old, and there's nor man nor boarder

To marry us in all the earth.

32 "Come, let us make our father-priest

Of congregation and of worth

Drink wine of ecstasy. At least

He'll marry us and thus preserve

His line of children and not swerve."

Afraid to live among the riot ways

Of city nights and polished city days,

Lot takes two women from his congregation

To build on ashes towards another nation.

And yet his scruples as a man of God

Will not permit him to plough up the sod.

Loss, loss is all a man can ever find

In Zoar or in Sodom with the blind.

He offered them in marriage to blind fools

Who came at last in refuge to the pools

Of solitude and duty. Sometimes there

Is nothing left but water and still air.

Bless then, Beloved, the refugee and star,

The wandering satyrs wherever they are.

33 So they made their father and priest

Drink wine of ecstasy increased

That very night and the first born

Contracted marriage and was sworn,

And consummated though he knew

Not when she came nor when withdrew.

34 It happened on the next day too

The firstborn told the younger, "Do

As I did with our father-leader,

Let him drink wine, become conceder,

And enter marriage contract so

You shall lie with him to make grow

The line of our father and beau."

If wine of ecstasy is what is taught

In this crude story or if wine that's bought

From liquor outlet is intended here,

It makes but little difference, I fear.

The story is a warning for both things,

The weaknesses of labourers and kings.

I drink the clear draught of water of life

I find served at Your table, and not strife.

Beloved, I find the drunkenness You give

Makes mind and senses clearer where I live.

The heady realizing You are One

Is stronger stimulation than the fun

Of drinking and carousing. You are my

Sane knowing, my Beloved, without the pie.

35 Then they made their father drink wine

Of ecstasy and countersign

A contract of wedding and so

The younger lay, nor did he know

When she lay down nor when she rose.

36 So both young ladies as they chose

Were pregnant by the priestly throes.

37 The firstborn gave birth to a son

And called his name Moab when done.

He is ancestor to this day

Of Moabites. 38 The younger's way

Was to give birth to son also

And Ben-Ammi was his chapeau.

He's ancestor to Ammon now

Or till the last day anyhow.

The two last members of Lot's hearth cry out

In anguish at the wicked world about.

They fear the faith in You, Belovèd, ends

Since they and Lot alone remain Your friends.

If the last coal upon the hearth grows cold,

No longer shall the sparks fly up and bold

Hearts whirling, whirling there shall cease.

The wicked world is gone, their isle of peace

Contains the leader of the faith and them

Alone to bow before the seamless hem.

He will not in his faithfulness agree

To take advantage of the souls that be

Beneath his sole protection, then we must

Bind fast the marriage contract and but trust."