Well, I finally got my local internet account fixed up right, and got
my phone line in my room (oh happy me! :) so I can use the internet more easily.
Unfortunately, I have to put off any and all work in progress at this time.
(That means Starry Eyes and Bubblegum Chronos won't be updated for a while).
The reason is that one of my best friends just committed suicide last Friday
or Saturday (I'm sketchy on the details at this time).
     To preempt questions, I'm doing OK, but it's going to take some time to
recover from the shock. He did seek counseling, but the counselor was an
idiot and said that he was just pretending to be suicidal so he would be
discharged from the Navy. Basically, there was nothing that could be done to
save him
once the Navy counselor refused to discharge him. Unfortunately, he didn't
tell any of us anything; he just pretended to be OK.

I wrote this today. In my aikido class, he was nicknamed "Li" or "Fire" by
my sensai.

Death's silent footfalls padded through the hall.
Fingers, cold and quiet, reached into the doorway of hearts:
   plucking friendship and happiness.
The Fire rages no more, the blackness swirls around it in finality.
We see, but it's imprisoned in the tomb of its chosen path.

The nobles say we could stop it, but the nobles know not the Fire.
The king took him into service, the Fire's choosing:
   but the king wouldn't let the flame free.
"Nay," said the noble, "it is not running out of fuel."
"Nay, it is deceiving. I know, I've seen the water do it."

The water, not the Fire. The water, always testing the boundaries.
The Fire, listens to the water, then breaks the bounds:
   and the Noble knew not to listen to uniqueness.
And Death stalked behind, waiting. It's time has come.
The Fire walked towards the dynamite, and the explosion put it out.

Those who knew Fire knew it would happen. We saw it, and tried.
"It was God's will." No, instead, I guess:
   "You can't cheat Death."
--
Ben Kosse bmk7411@cs.rit.edu
BGC Otaku and worshipper of the Red-Eyed Goddess and her music.
Anime, RPG's, computers, poetry (read/write), music (listen/compose).
Author of the Bubblegum Crisis theme pack (see the homepage below).
Homepage with anime and other interests. (http://www.rit.edu/~bmk7411)