《Ghostlights》 The Change and the Witch 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! Freedom? Now I suspected this was another trick My defenses were up when I heard a small ¡®hic¡¯ Sat on the TKTS steps of red Thoughts of a fight quickly left my head Her face was flushed, a bottle in her hand Don¡¯t need to eat, but get drunk we still can ¡°The fuck¡± I asked, ¡°happened out here?¡± With time and slurred speech, Red made it all clear I¡¯m sure you all remember COVID-19 And the year it caused a worldwide quarantine Schools, film sets, Broadway all were shut down No going shopping or just out on the town Now I was here and finally free Just in time for the whole world¡¯s ending I sat with Red, swigging the booze Gazing at the streets, taking in this news The date was what I asked next April 2020 ended the hex So I was trapped for almost two years Conflicted with anger and sorrowful tears She told me that I burned her only home That without Finn, now she was all alone I only said ¡®Now you¡¯ll know how it feels¡¯ Mounting Sandy the worm, who needs wheels? I left Red behind, no looking back Future meetings with her, I hoped I would lack! If you wonder just where I would go The Winter Garden, Beetlejuice¡¯s former home Running on instinct, it just called to me There was no other place I¡¯d rather be It felt warm and like I always belonged The air was filled with decades of songs I found a striped couch, upon it I lied And though it smelled bad, I lay there and cried My journey thus far had been rather bleak So don¡¯t you dare try and say that I¡¯m weak Kidnapped, tortured, kept more than a year This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Forgive me if, just for a moment, dear That I felt all the pain, despair and fear When I could finally stop it was clear This had damaged me beyond all repair But since ghosts get no mental health care There really wasn¡¯t much else I could do But have a look in the place I¡¯d come to The Winter Garden on 50th street A classic theater that can''t be beat Seats sixteen hundred, a rather large stage Year one nine one one to the golden age Holding Peter Pan, Carnival, Gypsy Funny Girl, Camelot, Cats recently School of Rock was here but fuck all of that Beetlejuice closed here at the drop of a hat Now sitting empty, just like the rest It almost felt like a bird¡¯s empty nest There was an energy through the whole place Like it was crying though it had not face This place, active for more than a century Now, bare, dormant with no end to see These floors which felt walking, dancing feet Nothing but wind floated between the seats The Garden had a spirit of its own It welcomed me as if I¡¯d come home I wandered the halls just like a specter Getting to know each room and sector Belongings were still inside dressing rooms Personal things, a garden, and costumes The stage itself I had saved for the last Ran out of places to go pretty fast Standing in the wings that air felt alive I could feel the shows, the people and drive This is a place where stories are told Eight time a week, the lights were rarely cold Except right now, for all but one was dark The ghostlight stood tall, casting shadows stark Meant to keep all the theater ghosts pleased Must not work, because I am not appeased Am I a ghost? I keep having to ask So, sat in a seat, I took to the task Once again, I thought upon what I knew Just to figure out something I could do My body can change through power and will Bound by my source and his character¡¯s skill Beetlejuice could breathe in the witch¡¯s sea But at the end Dewey came over me Or some other mortal, that¡¯s why I choked Then locked into Finn until the cage broke So forcing another into a role Something, to her, at least, was possible I escaped, or maybe she set me free Became the demon, using my fury I conjured a snake, threw balls of flame Changed my appearance, easy, like a game All this power, but most people can¡¯t see That very first night, nobody helped me As I thought more on what exactly I am I began to see what I can¡¯t do and can That air on the stage, that¡¯s where I started Feeling the eyes of the Garden imparted Reaching out I could hear songs in my head Focusing on it to see where it led Like choosing a film on Netflix streaming Figments of show¡¯s past played like I¡¯m dreaming I see the theater¡¯s recollection The Garden seemed to have no objection So I sat in the front, watched all the shows Brightman performed so my knowledge grows Across the stage phantoms of the past danced I sat in the seats completely entranced Seeing the changes each performance had Dropped lines, perfect turns, both the good and bad Learning everything of what I could do If using this source which I am apt to His powers, he has a rather long list Let me say a few so you get the gist Illusions and reality bending The possibilities are unending Taking a moment that was much needed I started making rules to be heeded Use Beetlejuice as little as I can For I feel I¡¯d get lost, given the chance As tempting as the power can be It is, to a terrifying degree Far closer than I think that I can take To being a god of sorrow and hate The destruction that I could bring about Serious scorched earth I have no doubt I felt it that day I escaped the school To ignore that face, I¡¯d be quite a fool I will not become the thing that Red feared Though a part of me is forever seared That wants the whole world to burn, reset I hoped it¡¯s a chance I would never get I understood more the fear that Finn felt They could not handle the hand they¡¯d been dealt Hoping that I can somehow do better So my rules I¡¯ll follow to the letter Most of my time in the Garden was spent Watching shows without spending a cent Shows that played here had left their mark I could see their echoes in the dark These moments of time hung thick in the air I wondered what shows I could see elsewhere The St. James presented Frozen only Don¡¯t think it liked me, made me feel lonely The Garden loved me and showed me it¡¯s past I knew I could see shows Brightman was cast So I went to the Gershwin for Wicked A munchkin was who Brightman depicted Boq was his name, he becomes the Tin Man This prequel of Oz for years had been ran Full of glamor and heart I¡¯m not surprised Almost twenty years playing recognized Could not see Idena or Donna V Kerry Ellis and Marcie Dodd I¡¯d see Playing the titular Witch of the West Only what Brightman was in, not the rest Even free of Red I was held tight Bound by my source like a parasite He¡¯s hovering metaphorically Controlling my actions, haunting me! Only so much I can see the same show So I asked my instincts where I should go A few blocks down to fifty four below