A poet she said, is that what I am?


    I’ve been called worse: demon, evil, damned


    Holy shit! Did I just make a rhyme?


    And here is another with this line!


    Maybe I can do this, go with the flow


    But what to write about, I don’t know


    I guess I can start with what i can recall


    And hope I can write without hitting a wall


    It all began a few years ago


    So much has happened it doesn’t seem so


    My memory starts in twenty eighteen


    To you it may seem like some crazy dream


    I know it’s all true this story of mine


    A tale of love death innocence and crime


    In a world just beyond human eyes


    Where tales tell truths within their lies


    But before I lose track of my thought train


    Confusing myself, or you, I must refrain


    From mixing up when events occurred


    Keep things in order, so nothing gets blurred


    Time is quite odd for a creature like me


    Some explaining is needed so let’s see


    I am not human, never was, I suppose


    This is not an existence that I chose


    Temporary and finite, some cosmic joke


    Wandering cracks of a world already broke


    But there I go losing focus once more


    Fuck, this is becoming quite the chore


    Let’s maintain order, to keep it all clear


    Answers will come, I promise my dear.


    October fourth, two thousand eighteen


    A new musical graced the scene


    Of a small stage in Washington DC


    Based on a film from the nineteen eighties


    A Tim Burton comedy, a classic indeed


    About a ghost whose name all will heed


    When thrice it’s said by one who breathes


    Twenty years later a musical was writ


    Soon to grace Broadway, becoming quite a hit


    About a young girl, with rapier wit


    Meets married ghosts and a demon of the pit


    As the child mourns she who gave her life


    She feels unseen, father ignoring her strife


    She forms in the demon a strong bond


    And it, of her, seems rather fond


    But even Beetlejuice cannot resist


    The allure of life, if just can’t be missed


    So he betrays his new friend’s trust


    And his plan to live the young girl will bust


    It’s the very first performance of this show


    And the earliest memory of what I know


    After the bows, I walked my way home


    When some great fear chilled me to the bone


    I didn’t know then why or how


    So neither will you, at least not now


    Something changed in me, as I stood in the night


    Though my eyes saw it more bright


    To elaborate the point how my eyes


    Perceive the world, is a limelight guise


    As if on a stage, awash in light beams


    Detail and contrast, to me, can be extreme


    There is not much that can hide from my sight


    Yet that moment seemed to show a new light


    One so severe that everything changed


    My mind, my body had been rearranged


    “What did you do?” I heard someone say


    I turned to see I wasn’t alone that day


    A woman of such beauty, it made me choke


    Perhaps another reason my voice broke


    Is the fear that gripped me freezing my brain


    Just what caused it, I could not explain


    The woman stared at me, filled with concern


    To speak, ask her for help is what I most yearned


    But i was confused, my mind was racing


    I couldn’t grip a thought I was chasing


    My silence angered her, or so it appeared


    Her eyes darted around, then on me leered


    My instincts kicked in and told me to run


    I just knew this would not be fun


    But I’d made the error of meeting her eyes


    They’re a steely blue like dark stormy skies


    Her auburn hair blew in a sudden breeze


    And my body remained in a deep freeze


    I heard the ocean’s crashing waves


    Though we were miles from the nearest bay.


    The sound of thunder was also heard


    But above us the stars continued to burn


    The only clouds there that I could see


    Were in her fierce eyes, focused on me


    “What did you do?” she asked me again


    I wanted to answer but twas all in vain


    That gaze held me frozen including my voice


    So much to say if I had the choice


    Did she know me? Who were we?


    What was happening? Why was nobody helping me?


    I mean it was eleven PM in Washington DC


    There were tons of people walking the city


    Why did everyone just pass us both by?


    Someone should help, or even just try!


    Nobody did, it was just us two


    Only the witch and me, the frozen statue


    Finally, my racing mind began to slow


    But before I could think on what I know


    A new problem began to be present


    My feet no longer felt dry cement


    Rather, they were wet! And waves I could hear


    As the water rose, so did my fear


    I couldn''t see, my eyes locked on her own


    But i could feel the water level grow


    Climbing my body moving in waves


    Back and forth like and ocean behaves


    At the edge of my sight I could see foam


    Fierce as she was, she seemed right at home


    Calling her witch I didn’t exaggerate


    Sad to say, in her hands, she held my fate


    This was her doing, as salt stung my eyes


    Firey hair blew in a wind, still quite dry


    It framed her face, a halo of fire


    If not so scared, her I might admire


    But the water still rose, now to my chest


    The force of the sea beat upon my breast


    Her eyes squinted, seeming confused


    She nearly screamed, “What did you do?”


    Wish I could say or ask what she meant


    As my mouth filled with the water she sent


    My precious breath, I did try to hold


    I was oddly calm, truth be told


    Of all the thoughts, buzzing in my mind


    One that was sound I could finally find


    While I was scared, it was not of death


    It was not fear that stole my breath


    Rather defiance had come to me then


    For this witch didn’t act like a friend


    I would not fear her if that’s what she wished


    Death was preferred to giving into this bitch


    As salt water rose to string my eyes


    I held my gaze, still immobilized


    Hoping to show that i won’t be her prize


    Releasing my breath, watching the bubbles rise


    I could barely see through salt and….seaweed?


    I learned then that breathing, I had no need


    Still couldn’t move in my watery cell


    But I guess I was spared a trip to hell


    Floating there, for who knows how long


    I was able to think just what had gone wrong


    Red seemed to know me, which made one of us


    Something had happened to cause all this fuss


    We saw this show, but I could not recall


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    What was on stage, I must''ve been enthralled


    Anything before I just could not find


    As if the curtain also closed on my mind


    Who I was, who the witch here was too


    There wasn’t a thing that I could do


    To my mind’s front, bring the answers I sought


    Though I tried hard, it was all for naught


    Instead I began to think what I knew


    Here are the facts that I then reviewed


    I have thoughts and so I exist


    Stuck in a trap that I could not resist


    My body seems human but it does not breathe


    I wondered what else I don’t really need


    Now the woman, my captor indeed


    Even her red hair, was no longer seen


    She summoned the water I floated in now


    I did my best to consider how


    If she had power did I have some too


    Not drowning now made it likely true


    Before I tried to attempt anything


    Lack of air began to make my throat sting


    Maybe drowning takes longer for me


    And before I could think on how this could be


    My bubble burst, water flowing away


    Falling down, on damp ground I lay


    I was so tired and cold suddenly


    Barely felt the blanket draped over me


    By a small girl I could just about see


    Confused, I begrudgingly fell asleep


    I awoke to the sound of a school bell


    The shrill noise did not make me feel well


    Holding my head and groaning I sat up


    I was on top of a desk, and handed a cup


    Grateful it was fresh water, I drank slow


    So I could think again on what I know


    One moment, water didn’t bother me


    I didn’t drown in the witch’s small sea


    Then at once I felt my lungs burning


    Some kind of change left me, for air, yearning.


    Unsure if that was her magic or mine


    These questions would wait for another time


    For right now as I sat on the desk


    Taking in where I was trying my best


    To think clearly with a throbbing head


    Starting first with my makeshift bed


    A teacher’s desk placed in front of the class


    I realized one other thing pretty fast


    Not alone in this room was I it seemed


    Some kids sat in front of me, quite a team


    They each wore a uniform dressed the same


    Now I knew from where water and blanket came


    Clearing my throat, I asked who they were


    One young girl answered, her name was Summer


    This class was grade five, all aged less than teen


    In the elite private school, Horace Green


    The names rang bells I could not quite place


    I thought I could recognize her face


    But my head hurt if I tried to focus


    Possibly more of Red’s hocus pocus


    Didn’t want me to see who these kids are


    Fine, I’ll play, but only going so far!


    Rubbing my eyes, I asked who I might be


    Our sub, Summer replied, Mr. Schneebly


    Hearing that name my mind began to race


    Like watching a movie at a fast pace


    I suddenly knew the lyrics, lines, blocks


    Of the Broadway musical School of Rock


    The kids were characters of this here play


    But where they all came from, I couldn’t say


    Did Red capture them as she did me


    It would take some time until I could see


    For as the next school bell began to ring


    All of the kids, sat in desks, began to sing


    “Here at Horace Green” I knew this song


    We face the future” but it seemed wrong


    Always striving, eager to succeed” there was no stage here


    “Here at Horace Green” no audience near


    “The old traditions shape who we are” unnerving as it was


    “In word and deed” I think it was because


    “Some are meant to read” they’re all being controlled


    “We shoulder duties, seek perfection” by some spell’s strong hold


    “Toil and never rest” held in this cage


    “Thanks to Horace Green” began to feel a rage


    “Our Alma Mater we''ll take our place” These were fucking kids


    “Amongst the best” squeezing my eyelids


    “Here at Horace Green” chains all around me


    “We march in lock-step” could feel them, not see


    “Ever upward, destined to achieve” tried to find my power


    “Here at Horace Green” but their song grew louder


    “We go forth proudly” my world soon went black


    “Marked for success the day we leave” deafened by the pack


    “And we shall achieve” Now her I could hear


    “In years here after” a high melody was clear


    “Decked with honor” notes that are not easy to reach


    “Worthy of these halls” as if rousing a speech


    “Thanks to Horace Green” It made my head spin


    “Our Alma Mater” lost in the din


    “Nothing will shake these ivy walls” Wanna fucking bet?


    Nothing will shake these ivy walls!” She’ll soon pay her debt!


    My brain had become too full once more


    The world spun and I fell to the floor


    It was dark, the class and room all gone


    One thought in my head: The show must go on


    If, dear reader, you have not yet seen


    Musical or film about Horace Green


    It’s focus is actually a man


    Dewey Finn, who concocts quite a plan


    Needing a job, he chooses to teach


    Kind as this is, it’s also a security breach


    Dewey lacks a license o degree


    And the kids’ talent he does see


    He is a musician with dreams of fame


    Using the class, assuming a new name


    He lies his way into the school to win


    A Battle of the Bands with the young kin


    Along the way lessons are learned and taught


    Bonds are created before Finn is caught


    The story does end happy for sure


    While the battle is lost, the band does stay pure


    Finn finds a way to continue this road


    Keeping the band to rock, he bestowed


    And all lived happily, just don’t think too much


    About how Finn would go to jail and such


    This did begin as a film with Jack Black


    A feel-good romp I recall thinking back


    Then Andrew Lloyd Webber writer of songs


    Like Phantom, Cats, a career rather long


    Decided to base his next big show


    On this classic film many people know


    So it came to Broadway, quite a success


    A talented cast, one of the best


    If offered a role, I might’ve said yes


    But fate had in mind a different test


    The overture’s notes shocked me awake


    Still sporting a rather nasty headache


    Notes blared and bright lights did shine


    I found autonomy was no longer mine


    Against my will I began to sing


    Dancing around like a puppet on a string


    Performing this show against my will


    Ignoring my obvious lack of skill


    Clearly not trained in song or in dance


    Hitting notes and marks by the slimmest chance


    But the cast ignored my skills not honed


    Seemingly in a trance of their own


    Against this control I did try to fight


    But the chains held strong despite all my might


    By intermission’s start tired as I was


    I was grateful for a small moment’s pause


    This show is rather exhausting, you see


    And it did not help that I played the lead


    For most of the shot I was on stage


    Making this a very unique cage


    Still unsure as to why I was trapped here


    One thing to me became very clear


    I’d save them all if it the last thing I do


    And maybe I could survive all this too


    I learned something else about who I am


    Low in priorities is where I stand


    The children were all I could think to save


    Any adults could follow the path we’d pave


    Away from the show, away from that witch


    By the way she had her own role, the bitch


    Headmistress of the school, Red chose to play


    Dewey’s love interest, at the end of the day


    As if this capture wasn’t bad enough


    Being forced to kiss her was gonna be rough


    Yup, they kiss in the show, not once, but twice


    Doing this against my will is not very nice


    My body was forced to work and perform


    While my mind did swirl with a growing storm


    The finale was sung and I needed to sleep


    After a moment I wanted to weep


    For the overture had begun once again


    My body still separate from my own brain


    I wondered how many shows I could do


    Before I collapse for all here to view


    We performed School of Rock, the very same


    How in the fuck can I win at her damn game!?


    I won’t bore you with the parts that repeat


    Just that torture became this theater feat


    This tiring show, done constantly


    An end to this was not guaranteed


    I had begun to question my reality


    That’s when Red began the inquiry


    There is one scene that’s in the second act


    Finn and Red meet in a bar’s very back


    In the show they speak, furthing Finn’s goal


    Before the kiss scene that still pains my soul


    But after doing the show many times


    Out of the fog, my own voice did climb


    I was able to speak but nothing else


    So I took the chance to say how I felt


    I wasn’t polite, there was some swearing


    Angered me more, her not really caring


    When I sat, out of breath, out of steam


    I was dragged back into her musical dream


    I never did coin how many I’d done


    How many versions of this show were run


    Odd, the multiple times I went through it


    No food or sleep but just felt like shit


    Right on the edge of just passing out


    But finding more energy for one more bout


    Not like I had much choice as you have read


    Unseen will controlled what I did and said


    Spare moments I had, spent catching my breath


    In between wishing for my own death


    Survived by keeping my focus on the rest


    The kids, my cast also doing their best


    To hide their own fear but I could see


    They were forced to do this just like me


    In those brief reprieves I had from my trance


    Sat in a booth, able to speak rather than dance


    I asked the questions that swirled in my mind


    I had quite a few as we soon would find


    “Who are you?” I demanded of her


    “You used to know, even love me, I’m sure”


    “So who am I? Who was I before?”


    Honestly? I sounded like a fucking bore!


    The person she loved, who was me, I guess


    Was a musician and one of the best


    You wouldn’t know them, never played a show


    And despite how much I wanted to know


    I felt the chains loose, her focus had waned


    Hoped she missed it, continue to explain


    But our performance, her puppet show, went on


    I lost count but I performed like her pawn


    And at that scene I asked what I could


    Trying to see an ounce in her of good


    Biding my time until my own power stirred


    Figuring out why she trapped me with her


    Because of her, I suppose I should say


    I have to guess but she would release her sway


    Every other show, about once a day


    I figured that fighting it just wasn’t the way


    I needed info so I went with it


    Exhausted, and maybe insane a bit


    I endured her magic captivity


    To uncover the reason for this activity


    Cuz I could not recall why I was here


    What crime I committed just was not clear


    In this situation, who’s in the wrong?


    I needed to know, it shouldn’t take long


    Or so I thought, but if a query I asked


    She disapproved, I’d return to my task


    Remaining in control every second


    Had to be a difficult action I reckoned


    So I did my best to choose my words well


    Here is her story from what I could tell


    Red and Finn, as my past self’s name had been


    Woke a few weeks ago, she said about ten


    They began together and as such they stayed


    Hidden in a theater for many nights and days


    They did find out their past had been frayed


    As they spoke of each other’s thoughts and ways


    This explained things when I considered this


    Changes I felt, my memory gone to piss


    Fully grown adults is how we were born


    Never hungry or tired, tis not the norm


    We look human but for sure we are not


    New bodies, new life, what else had we got?


    Abilities, powers that come from a source


    But not witchcraft of the gods of Norse


    Rather theater and the actors therein


    We draw power from the shows they are in


    Sierra Boggess, Red’s source was found to be


    Alex Brightman, the source left to me


    His name turned my mind as if by a key


    And how things were I could suddenly see


    This character I played is why I was tired


    He’s a mortal man, but I was not hired


    She forced me into this role day by day


    To keep me weak, hear what she had to say


    That would explain why I was held here


    The next query that hadn’t been made clear


    What about the kids, the cast by my side


    The answer she gave, in me, turned the tide


    They are not real, she thought I could tell


    She’d never allow children to this hell


    I reminded her she did it to me


    She thought it’d bring back who I used to be


    That person is gone, her actions assured


    Could’ve talked instead of what I’d endured


    Scared she was of what I’d become


    The power we have cannot be undone


    She thought it was best to keep me in here


    Until she could test if I should be feared


    I told her I was quite a fearsome being


    But that’s only because of this first sting


    If this is how she treats those she loves


    Then now is the time to take off my gloves


    Since I am the sole prisoner inside


    Then I will ensure there is no place to hide


    My plan to escape was almost at hand


    Since there’s no need to care about the child band


    You see, in between my convos with Red


    I began to use a bit more of my head


    While my body and voice moved on their own


    Through focus and thought my power had grown


    My source had had a successful career


    Stored in my head, time made it all clear


    A current flowed through me all around


    He’s on a show now, I could hear the sound


    Everything Brightman was credited in


    Had some ability that I could pin


    One thing for sure, I was no longer Finn


    A chance of their return, you can toss in the bin


    I’ll burn this place down, if I can be free


    This witch will not make a trophy of me


    Stating my plans like this? A bad idea


    She locked the place down like North Korea


    No more shows, thankful for this, I felt


    I could start to recover the damage they delt


    The water returned, her favorite trick


    Along with some chains, both metal and thick


    I had always felt them, but now they were real


    Kind of nice to see what I could still feel


    Too dangerous, Red felt, I had become


    She feared what I’d do, if free I could run


    Finn she could trust, but they were not me


    I asked, “Is this right, from what you can see?


    Something had happened and I was new life


    Along with answers, you’ve given me strife!”


    Red left me alone floating in the drink


    Rather than despair, I was glad for time to think!


    Mostly submerged in a small salty sea


    Below my chin the water’s level happened to be


    The chains wrapped tight so moving was hard


    Keeping me in place, no need for a guard


    There was no light, I was left in the dark


    I didn’t need to see to look for a spark


    Taking a breath, I thought what I knew


    Reasons for Red to lie were rather few


    So we had existed for less than a year


    Both have power, but mine she had to fear


    Began to focus on what’s in my mind


    It took some time, there was a lot to find


    Not of me, but my source’s career


    Alex Brightman had become Broadway’s dear


    Starting quite young, only eight years old


    His skill and passion was one to behold


    Broadway debut in two thousand and eight


    Glory Days opened and closed on the very same date


    Went on to perform in Wicked as Boq


    Big Fish and Matilda, he cannot be stopped


    Fate took a turn when he got his first lead


    School of Rock, I know it, unfortunately


    But none of that had caused my birth


    What happened to Finn and all he was worth?


    I came to a theory, I think I am right


    We are drawn to our source, though we may fight


    Even now he’s on stage, of that I can tell


    Could just about see him from my watery cell


    Finn had been drawn to Brightman’s new show


    About a striped demon whom you may know


    Leaving the theater fear struck Finn’s heart


    Because they knew, this person was smart


    A new character had been added now


    It would affect Finn, they didn’t know how


    Teacher, fraud, bully, man, were all in Finn’s head


    This would add a demon who was dead


    Scared they could not control this new power


    Finn destroyed themselves, making it my hour


    Whatever we are, we don’t die, we change


    From Red’s point of view it had to be strange


    Where once stood this person she cared for


    Now some kind of stranger, understanding was poor


    While I understand her anger and fear


    I would have preferred a talk over beer!


    But how had Red kept me captive so long


    If she was so scared, surely I was strong


    Stronger than her, of that perhaps


    I began to think on her choice of traps


    The water, of course, but we’ll get to that


    My answers did lay in Red’s source’s past


    Sierra Boggess and Brightman did act


    Together in School of Rock, this was a fact


    Trapping me here, mortal and weak


    Dewey didn’t have much power to seek


    This show I am sure I will find a use


    She’d made it a vessel to fuel my abuse


    Other character’s power she had drawn on


    Caught in a theater, a Phantom’s long con


    Chrsitine Diae Boggess had once played


    So I bet Phantom is one of her power stays


    Manipulating minds, the Opera’s as well


    And the ocean’s course was clear as a bell


    Sierra Boggess had played Ariel


    Princess of the sea created my cell


    So where did the chains come in you may ask


    Figuring that out another easy task


    For that came from my own source indeed


    The musical Big Fish had this one scene


    People of a town, Brightman included


    Wanted a dam from their locale excluded


    So binding themselves to the town with chains


    Hoping the dam’s creation could be changed


    The protest began as the water rose


    Slipping the chains, the citizens chose


    I focused on this and soon had found


    The chains fell away and sunk to the ground


    I floated at sea, escape not yet prepared


    I vowed to give Red a reason to be scared


    Angry I was and with good reason


    I wanted revenge for her great treason


    What came to mind was a demon in stripes


    And a lesson to learn that Red would not like


    Those chains had shown me quite a neat trick


    That somehow we both could use Big Fish


    If she could use mine, I could use hers


    Why this was true, I wasn’t concerned


    But now I can say this feat’s rather hard


    I don’t use it often, quite a rare card


    At the time I was anxious to try


    Anything I could to say my goodbye


    To Red, and Finn, I’d tear this place apart


    A certain striped ghost seemed a good start


    If you look Beetlejuice has no constraints


    Once saying his name released his restraints


    Shaping new reality as he pleased


    This ability I quickly seized


    Focusing upon the chains at my feet


    They began to move in a way that was neat


    Slithering around like snakes in the sea


    I began to think what else they could be


    The chains came together and grew to great size


    Becoming a creature that I could ride


    A two faced sandworm my brand new pet


    I knew that with this, escape I’d soon get


    My vengeance as well, though try as Red might


    One thing for sure, I fucking look good in stripes!


    Fire, destruction, my plan was fantastic


    But it really was anticlimactic


    I rode my pet through the dark to the school


    Walking the halls I felt like a fool


    Completely empty, no students or witch


    My elaborate plan had hit a hitch


    Growing more frustrated with each passing second


    At least, the building can burn, I reckoned


    The sandworm had shrunk, on my shoulder it sat


    But at my command, it grew long and fat


    I sent it away to destroy what it could


    Soon heard the sound of splintered glass and wood


    Able to conjure balls of sparks and fire


    In a moment my surroundings turned dire


    If I was human, I’d have been choking on smoke


    But I had embodied the ‘ghost with the most’


    His power, mind, even a bit of his style


    With no fucks left, I could do this for a while


    Combined with that, there was also sorrow


    And a lot more that could wait till tomorrow


    For that moment, I was focused on fury


    As my sandworm returned to me in a hurry


    Seems it cared for my life more than I


    As the school fell, I said my goodbye


    Climbed on it’s back, the sandworm did scurry


    For I still had a witch somewhere to bury


    As we moved, the smoke blocked my sight


    But I could still see a change in the light


    Dismounting, I shrunk my pet travel size


    Unsure of what trick or trap may now rise


    The smoke cleared away and I saw Times Square


    My instincts did tell me I was really there!


    Wanting to feel the sun, pushing back the ghost


    So I could feel the sun’s summer heat roast


    My rage did fade as I saw I was free


    But something odd became clear to me


    The people in the streets were so latent


    New York fucking City was totally vacant!