. Poetry from The Great In-Between: September 2026

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Captivated

 


Blessed be. 

Velumbound. 


Have you ever experienced that magical moment with someone special when you want the night to never end?


I've paused the vocal transmissions for now because I know that you hear my voice. 


Unconsciously. 


Such is the power of magic. 


Shall we begin? 


Daylight may softly whisper it's but an hour away. 


But such is the spiritual power of your divine company. 


I will stay. 


Transformed emotionally beyond all known boundaries of esoteric norm. 


By your captivating spiritual form. 


While my carefully chosen words, like ringing occult bells. 


Holds you and unfolds me by the whispers of this subtle spell. 


And it's where I want to forever stay. 


Somewhere. 


An hour away from sunrise. 

Laid together. 


Esoterically. 

Entwined. 


Listening to the early morning birds play. 

(C) 

Copyright John Duffy



Want to know how to be a guide?

 


(A lone voice whispers)


What a year to be alive to see poetry still thrives


Want some new readers?


Well, I asked this once when I was institutionalised


Before, in The Great In-Between 


I was baptised to be non-institutionalised


So here's my advice 


Try to write immersive experiences 


For some long-lost legends whisper 


That every spirit seeks to walk in newer realms on their way to redemption 


So take your readers by the hand, like a leader 


Take them on soul-tempting journeys into the unknown and mysterious 


Hold them mesmerised


Spellbound through words like ringing church bells


To keep them reading slowly like the birth of a caterpillar 


And when that red key eventually turns in their minds


To open a blue portal and enter them into a strange interdimensional place


Through the two great ancient white pillars


Of Ashtara and Shoka

 

To where smoke and fire

Day and night burn 


A spiritual place

I call The Great In-Between


A mythical experience for the curious mind

Begins


A fog-filled place where pain, sorrow, and sin


All things seen or unseen

Like love and happiness exist 


A wild place where darkness 


Shadows selves

Corwatturea creatures


Spirits

Angels and beauty 


Coexists 

In absolute tranquillity and harmony


And you, my friend 


In that subliminal moment, that red key turns


A new reader of yours is reborn


One who seeks their Drover

As their need and curiosity take over


To move them through higher high roads and lower byroads 


Unexplored old church lanes 

Of joy and pain 


To walk them through the fire and snowstorms 


To find a new mother load 

Via this underground railroad


Unspoken poetic stories to take them under like chloroform


For their souls 

After stepping into


The GREAT IN-BETWEEN 


Will have been truly transformed and renamed 


For now, they'll walk like new-aged gods and goddesses 


Baptised in that smoke 

Fire and rain


To stand up strong like their newfound Drover 


And walk forward forever

Trying to stay pure and unashamed 


As their need for more

Slowly takes over


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Are you sinful?

 


(A lone voice whispers)


In the beginning 


Did you secretly 

Walk like a curious

Enigmatic Charles Darwin


Looking

Whilst

Lost in Youth


Seeking The Meaning of Sin


To clandestine dark places where


Angels

Without harps 


Profusely lambast and

Sing


Searching

Through concealed ancient manuscripts and treatises


Seduced by Mistresses and Masters


Of Seductions


By their ever-changing winds

And rhymes


And now 

Are you still covertly

Only understood 


By a select few


Riding your Pale Horse

Tempestuously


Through lost

Biographies of Old Beliefs


Always on the lookout for engagements


A means to sometimes

Circumvent dark

Carnal release


Or are you still drinking Kool-Aid


From the Matrix’s ever-spinning

Propaganda's machine


As the Cosmic Serpent

Of your own Apocalypse


Approaches with such devious guile


Heralding a new divine invasion


Of your own United Nations


So you still dwell in

A new vision of Gilgamesh


Wallowing in previous dark memories of

Sins


Of old encounters and embraces


Of its sensuous

Flesh


Or are you a new lost Nikola Tesla


Lost in the folds of deep personal histories


Overwhelmed

With impropriety and greed


Still seemingly held in check


By fingerprints of

Memories Old Gods


But still always courageously


Praying silently to the skies


Trying to save

Your soul


Always praying someone

Hears you and your deeds and comes down 


To intercede


Copyright John Duffy

Monday, September 21, 2026

Chess. A checkmate of Love

 

Chess. A Checkmate of Love.


(A regal female voice whispers to eager faces)


“Try love”


Said the Queen to her Pawns


As she looked out over 

Her black and white lawns


“Before the Sun fades

Or goes away


Open up your souls and see where it goes


Just try love once

Even if it fails”


Said the Queen to her Pawns


As she looked out over

Her black and white lawns


"For,

From as far as Babylon of Old 


To Istanbul

Standing still in the Cold


All my old pieces have tried love once


Before they were took

By Death's cruel hook


To stand away forever

From my black and white lawns


Lost in the shadows 

As the stars fade, when the moon comes out


Praying in straight, black and white lines


For a second chance 

At a new dawn


So try love once,

My beloved Pawns


Even if it fails


Take a chance 

Before you're removed


From my black and white lawns 


Just try love once,

My beloved Pawns


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Has this ethereal ghost visited you yet?

 


Comparing "True Love" to an "unseen ghost" creates a powerful paradox.


 Ghosts are traditionally associated with haunting, the past, or fear. 


Here, it highlights how love operates invisibly in our lives before suddenly becoming tangible.


 It feels supernatural and inevitable.


The Sudden Shift: 


The word "materialised" marks a sharp transition from the invisible to the physical. 


It implies that love isn't something built slowly in this context, but rather an absolute reality that suddenly reveals itself.


Themes of Ownership and Finality: 


The final line, "Owned until the end," introduces a sense of destiny and permanence. 


The word "owned" suggests a complete surrender—where both people are entirely possessed by the emotion—while "until the end" provides a timeless, romantic conclusion.


Like an unseen ghost

True Love materialised

Owned until the end


 (575)


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

The Songbird

 



An intimate and romantic poem exploring themes of emotional healing, spiritual connection, and enduring love. 


The speaker reflects on how a transformative first interaction melted away their emotional defences, describing the beloved as an "ethereal songbird" who answered their lifelong prayers.


 Designed as a lasting keepsake, the poem offers a tactile sense of comfort meant to serve as an emotional anchor during future moments of sadness and across all phases of life.


(A lone voice whispers) 



If there ever comes a sad time when you'll miss me


Read this in all known weathers

My handwritten soft kiss


The first time we spoke was like a hot summer in winter


You melted all that icy shell around my soul 


As our higher selves whispered together


Leaving me lying uninjured


And as that once cold husk splintered

I knew then in that sweet moment


All my morning and night prayers had been answered 


With an introduction to you


My ethereal songbird

After being heard


(C) Copyright John Duffy

The Beguiled

 


(A lone voice whispers at 3 am)


There was always something so controversial and medieval about exploring semi-clothed in the dark shadows


All the deeply hidden essences of you


But I guess it's just one of the many unspoken reasons why I stepped into your view


Just unconsciously attracted when you appeared right out of the blue


Copyright John Duffy

The Psychiatrist

 


(A lone voice whispers)


Do you write

For freedom

From boredom 


Or even sympathy


Simply to defeat

Apathy


People who experience traumatic events may sometimes develop apathy syndrome


(indifference and emotional detachment)


As a means to further protect themselves mentally and prevent further distress


This is normally present in survivors of tragedies


And it can be part of post-traumatic stress disorder


Caused by emotions hard-pressed


So are you ready to lie on my couch 

And begin to confess? 


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Questions from the Ether

 


(A lone voice whispers)

What drives you?
Is it love or compassion?

Introspection or just plain creation?

Are you now on your soul's holy mission?

Navigating life using poetry to express all those old noises you still hear?

When remembering all the things or people you once enjoyed?

Or when you were used like a toy? 

Through clever, cunning, convincing ploys?

(C) Copyright John Duffy 

Image shared under fair usage policy 

#poetry


Are you a member of The Midnight Losers Club?

 


A piece evoking heartbreak, initiation, and resilience through friendship. 


Relating to a club which may not exist in the literal sense, but exists in the spiritual.


A club for those who have felt broken, but lifted by others who have probably been through the same rituals linked to heartbreak.


Title.


Are you a member of The Midnight Losers Club?


(A lone voice whispers) 


I joined last night

Went through the initiation 


Got my heart broken in two

Took proof


Showed them all on the big screen 


A picture of my ex-husband smiling as I stood crying


Now I wear the secret brand under my right sleeve in French.


Une fois brisés, nous nous relevons grâce à l'amitié


Car nous sommes membres du Midnight Losers Club 


(Once broken, but we rise through friendship 


For we are members of The Midnight Losers Club) 


(C) Copyright John Duffy

Reincarnated Love

 


Foundation.


Some old mythology says we are bound to find our twin flame or soulmate before we are born.


Our true other half.


This journey is simply repeated until we do.


No matter who we end up with.

To become whole.

Could old myths be true?


Title:

Reincarnated Love


(A lone old voice whispers)


I write this for you to see in this lifetime because I couldn't find you, and my earthly time is nearly up


My beloved Mary Lee


I know you were born to meet me

On the twenty-sixth of November


A date I'll know forevermore


As I look back 

Like now and remember


For we shall be together

In The Great Nevermore


Sharing conversations and sweet kisses:


Even after Death visits,

And offers you a drink of his sacrilegious dark wine


To end all your beautiful days and glorious time


I just know we shall be together, like twinned pilgrims 


In an eternal quest of hide and seek


Set forth in the silence, by a long remembered God


Lost somewhere in some surreal time stream


But together in insane spaces

In-Between


And as the soft capricious winds of Heaven


Change and dance like a wild Anna Pavlova

Between us


Creating a moving sea of love between our two pulsating souls


We shall know

In that very instance


Holding hands

Together, like first-date lovers


In the universe's

Dust


That we can sing and dance together,

Forever 


And be joyous in each and every form


For ours is a love story

Beyond the norm


A love story which will forever survive 


Composed in golden italics and kept safely on gilded shelves, with so many others 


Written in Enochian Archives


Stored beyond the Great Pillars 

In a sacred tabernacle


By the pale blue Holy Sea 

Our Eternal Sea


This I know because before I was born into physical form


You were written 

Into my history


By my spirit guides

God and me


The woman I'm bound to always love and try to find


Whenever I'm reincarnated into mankind 


The one soul betrothed to me 

By an angel called ADOEOET,


He who sings like a bird, who once whispered 


Meet your true love

My beloved Mary Lee


So, see you in another lifetime 

Your forever twin flame with no name


Whose loved is buried so deep, no matter how many times


Life tries to bury me


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Have you risked everything?


 Foundation.


Sometimes, marrying or loving someone comes with risks.


Did you, too, once encounter one of the Devil's, Mr. Fisk?


Title:

Evelyn. The Brave.


(A lone voice whispers as he places a beautiful red rose, on a pristine grave)


I still see you

Standing so still


Looking all beautiful in white in that restaurant's background expensive silver mirror, as I asked for your hand in marriage 


And can remember how all your family 


Particularly, your father and grandfather, cried out the next day


When they finally found out, 

We were to be married 


Evelyn

Don't you dare marry that rude boy


For if you do

All our family love for you will die


But looking back, as they have all now crossed over and died


I can just say, loving you in the face of such animosity,


was sometimes like walking through Dante's Divine Comedy


Wearing a red rose on my lapel with pride


And it's why I still love you


The girl dressed in white, who I once asked to be my beautiful bride.


Who knew her whole life was at risk 


But still found the courage to seal our future with our first wedding kiss


To defeat all the Devil's incarnated Mr. Fisk


(C) Copyright John Duffy

Sunday, September 20, 2026

Missed Encounters

 


Are there extraordinary people you still miss for whatever reason?


This could include mothers, fathers, family members, friends, or lovers.


Does your mind sometimes wander into daydreams?


Title:

Missed Encounters 


(A lone voice whispers)


There's a dream world I go to, where the wild rivers flow. 


A dream world where true love lives, and always welcomes me.


Underneath our beloved, Babylonian weeping willow.


With warm arms that always forgives and loves me.


Lost somewhere Interdimensional.


In The Great In-Between.

For all our ancestors to see.


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Hospice Whispers

 


A poignant poem capturing a profound moment of devotion and despair as an elderly man holds a vigil by his sleeping wife's bedside. 


The piece explores the agonising tension between acknowledging her physical decline and desperately pleading with her to fight and stay.


 Through vivid motifs of fading light versus enduring passion, the speaker's absolute love transforms into a final, heartbreaking plea for life before a glimmer of hope breaks through as her eyes slowly open.


(A lone elderly man holds his wife's hand, for maybe the last time, and whispers. As she sleeps)


Although your beauty may fade with age


My only love

Don't you dare leave me alone 


Although the shadows like midday angels may slowly appear 


Creeping in

Sent from above 


To take you home


Although your smiles may diminish in numbers 


As our old world slumbers


Although your inner sun

May have ebbed and lost its shine 


With the passing of time


Although I may not say it often enough

Although my mind may be elsewhere 


I do so love you 


So try to lift up your tired heart, my love, and relight your fires


Try to erase the numbness to regain the sharpness 


Ignore the changes with the turn of each of life's many pages 


Although you may think you've lost your inner shine

 

Carry this wondrous prose, just deep within that beautiful mind


A simple thought I just send


From me to you 

My love


For this is not the end

Only our new beginnings 

To start winning 


Hold my hand 

Tighter

Show me you're still mine


Surreptitiously, beyond all the greyest of skies 


For I am yours forever, beyond what people might say and conspire


And here I still stand, with eyes glazed lit 


Like the first day I met you

Still under your mesmerising power 


Lips pursed, looking for my own loving nurse 

To ignite my fires


For I breathe in your shadows 


Walk in your footsteps, just craving to stop your tears 

As surely as the Lord wept


May you always be mine, my divine gift 


Whose Love bestows my life with so much happiness and bliss


For if you leave me now 

Wilting alone if you go home

I'll cry 


And inside 

You'll leave me alone to slowly wither and die


So fight, my love

Fight to live


For together,

We still have so much more to share and give


(Man bows and kisses his wife's soft hands as her tired eyes slowly open)


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Disengaged


(A lone voice whispers) 


This love, we once experienced in the darkness 


Beyond the long reach of the light of judgment 


By family, friends, or enemies 


Will go through a new phase of rediscovering


Rewriting our tragic love story 

In the Universes Grey Books of History 


Like a modern-day Fyodor Dostoevsky


For humanity is sometimes incredibly and intensely in love with all forms of suffering


Where love in action is occasionally a brutal and tragic commodity


Whenever and forever described in relation to someone special 


Who can make your heart scream 

“Just believe in me”


As if in poetry or wishful dreams


For a love of any kind is never low-key


If you believe in something greater, the eyes of others, can never see.........


(C) Copyright John Duffy 


This poem, "Disengaged", is a deeply philosophical and melancholic reflection on a profound, unconventional love that survives outside societal boundaries but remains intrinsically tied to human suffering.


Here is a breakdown of the poem's key themes, literary references, and emotional core.


1. Love in the Shadows (The "Disengaged" Bond)


The opening lines establish a love that exists "in the darkness," specifically beyond the light of judgment from family, friends, or enemies.


The word "Disengaged" in the title doesn't mean a lack of feeling; rather, it suggests a love that has detached itself from external social expectations and rules.


It is a private, isolated bond that is now entering a "new phase of rediscovering" and rewriting its own narrative.


2. The Dostoevsky Connection & Human Suffering


The middle of the poem shifts into a striking psychological and philosophical analysis, explicitly invoking Fyodor Dostoevsky, the legendary Russian novelist known for exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche.


"Humanity is sometimes incredibly and intensely in love with all forms of suffering": 


This is a direct nod to Dostoevskian philosophy (particularly prominent in Notes from Underground and The Brothers Karamazov). 


Dostoevsky argued that humans do not always seek comfort; we often actively pursue suffering, validation through pain, or tragic drama because it makes us feel deeply alive.


"Love in action is occasionally a brutal and tragic commodity": 


This echoes a famous line from The Brothers Karamazov: "Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams." 


The poem acknowledges that real, intense love is rarely peaceful—it is often demanding, painful, and costly.


3. The Desperate Plea for Faith


The poem peaks emotionally with a vulnerable, raw human cry: 


“Just believe in me.”


This line represents the ultimate desire of someone trapped in a tragic romance. 


When the outside world offers nothing but judgment, the survival of the relationship depends entirely on mutual, absolute faith.


The poet notes that this plea often feels like it belongs only "in poetry or wishful dreams," highlighting the difficulty of maintaining such a pure belief in the real world.


4. Cosmic Defiance


The concluding lines elevate the romance from a earthly struggle to a spiritual or cosmic one.


"For a love of any kind is never low-key": 


True love is inherently grand, loud, and disruptive; 


it cannot be minimized or kept casual.


"If you believe in something greater, the eyes of others, can never see": 


The poem ends on a note of defiant triumph. 


It suggests that the lovers share a transcendent, higher understanding or connection. 


Because outsiders lack this spiritual vision, their judgments ("the light of judgment") are ultimately meaningless and blind to the true beauty of the bond.


Salute. 

Does love change you forever?

 


This is a Senryu—a traditional Japanese poetic form structurally identical to a Haiku (following a 5-7-5 syllable count) but focusing on human nature, emotions, and ironies rather than nature.


Syllable Breakdown


Line 1: 


Like a tor-na-do (5)


Line 2: 


De-stroy-ing my per-fect life (7)


Line 3: 


I fell in-to love (5)


Structural & Thematic Analysis


The Subversion of Romance: 


Culturally, "falling in love" is typically romanticised as a beautiful, gentle, or uplifting experience. 


I've simply completely subverted this expectation by framing love as a catastrophic natural disaster ("Like a tornado").


The Illusion of Control:


The phrase "my perfect life" suggests order, stability, and control. 


The poem implies that this perfection was sterile or fragile, easily upended by the chaotic, unpredictable force of human emotion.


The Irony of "Falling": 


There is a brilliant tension between the violent, upward lifting power of a tornado and the phrase "fell into love."


It captures the overwhelming, helpless feeling of losing your footing to an unstoppable force.


Summary


The poem, in my opinion, tries to perfectly capture the dual nature of love: 


As simultaneously destructive and transformative. 


Shattering a once structured existence to build something entirely new in its wake.


Have you experienced its power? 

The Searcher

 


(A lone voice whispers)


Tonight

Still on parole 

On love patrol 


In these storms 

Of life


As things spiral 

Out of my control 


I pray Love comes into sight


To make me whole

While my heart is beating

Like a lone drummer 


In the middle of the night

This Summer


As I wear my heart on my sleeves

Haunted by Father Time's 

One thousand thieves 


Wondering 

In this wet silence


As I stand outside

The box

In steadfast defiance 


Will I still be praying 

Come November


With this moon still as bright


That the missing part

Of my soul


Will come into sight

And help me 

Remember


L'amour apparaît quand on s'y attend le moins. 


Car tous les papillons ont besoin d’une flamme.


(C)

Copyright John Duffy 


Translation:


Love appears when you least expect it. For all moths needs a flame.

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Thanks for visiting.

 


80,000+ views! 


What figures will next year bring? 


Ten or more years ago - I felt compelled to share my light. 


Share it with anyone, anywhere. 

Day or night. 


It seems those whispers have greeted many as they appeared into sight. 


If you want to help me share my light. Look through my thoughts and share one which resonates. 

Blessed be. 

Velumbound. 


John Duffy

04,10 am

19th of September 2026

Aria the Druidess

 (A lone voice whispers)


Write your words like mesmerising spells


Like

California yellow bells


To bewitch hungry

Eyes that see


Using your incredible 

Vocabulary 

By all means


And the four types of comprehension


Literal

Interpretive

Critical

And creative


To conjure

Themes

And memes


From the fourth dimension 

To enrich jaded eyes 


To stimulate weary senses


Send forth your unique voice

Via your prose


To grace unconsciously moving wet lips

With a sweet scent

Of your inner


Red rose 


That tempts them

To read on


In their moments of stillness

And you'll realise

your love of poetry


May be the missing link 

That completes them


Like the three wise men

Who once saw 


The shining

Star of Bethlehem 


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Does your Summer miss the snow?

 


Foundation.


Does your Summer miss the snow?


A poem reflecting the persistent, almost seemingly never-ending, haunting nature of loss.


Exploring how bereavement can follow you—turning every place into a somewhere filled with old memories of someone special, whose absence still lingers.


Like Irish Sea Moss


The imagery of Summer missing snow represents grief in an eternal, kaleidoscope.


Relaying the sentiment that heartbreak can be an up and down internal season all oñ its own, discounting external context.


As life continues to spin as sadness slowly creeps in.


Title.

Bereavement.


(A lone voice whispers)


Stranded forever

Everywhere I seem to go


I now know heartbreak

Like Summer misses the snow


(C)

John Duffy

Friday, September 18, 2026

Channelling HP Lovecraft Part 3

 



Madam Astor…

The Dream Enchanter…

From The Great In-Between…


(A lone voice whispers) 



In a dark dream, every night

In The Great In-Between when I sleep


It’s always the same…

I hear you scream


“I’m here…”


In your soft pulsating voice

Hidden unseen


As if you had no choice


Then out of the void

Through the blackened heat


You appear half-ghost

On my midnight street



My heart beats faster


You take my hand

Lead me deeper still

To the Hereafter land


Call me Madam Astor

The Dream Enchanter


Pull me deeper into you

My soul’s captor



In the dark, you whisper low

Where the lost ones go


In The Great In-Between

You’ll never let me go


Call me Madam Astor

Don’t let me wake


If this is death

It’s a risk I’ll take


Hidden in shadows, you bend down slow



“Call me Madam Astor… this realm’s Pastor…”



Your fingertips trace

A haunting tune on my skin


As my spirit shakes

And my pulse caves in


Astral sweat drips

My vision spins


My soul cries out

Tempted by sin


You dig your nails in deeper still


A ghostly touch I cannot kill


“Sooon…”

You breathe into my ear


“In two nights’ fall…

I will appear…


Call me Madam Astor

The Dream Enchanter


Pull me deeper into you

My soul’s captor


When the midnight king falls down

And the morning wears its crown


You’ll return to claim


What death has found


Call me Madam Astor

I hear your call


If I’m yours forever

I will fall



At the Blue Portal… I stand alone


Your voice like bells inside my bones


Gone… but not for long

I feel your spell where I belong


Time moves fast

When you’ve been marked


By something ancient…

Something dark…



Call me Madam Astor

My Dream Enchanter


Take my hand beyond

This mortal anchor


In The Great In-Between

We reunite


Lovers reborn

In endless night


Call me Madam Astor


Your ghostly wife

The one you loved


Before death took your life


Tonight… I know…

You’ll return…


Madam Astor…

I’m ready…


I'm ready to burn...


For I know

I'll never learn


(C) 

Copyright John Duffy

Channelling HP Lovecraft Part 2

 


Part 2 of Channeling H.P. Lovecraft.


 (A lone voice whispers.)


 Her ruby eyes 


When she appeared knocking softly on my front door


Wore me out instantaneously with revolving shadows


Blooming with mystical colours of deep dreams


Echos of an unexplored multiverse 


A place where unfulfilled desires and cravings linked to lust


Could be so easily dissolved and resolved


They whispered of archaic realms


Revolving around humanity 

Like old satellites unseen 


Twinkling with sparkling obsidian dust infused with a fervent red shimmer 


Of something transmigrational


Something so mysterious and sensuous 


That when she suddenly willed it to appear 


You could sense it would be utterly insatiable 


Her smile carried a hidden memorandum and invitation 


That was inescapable 


For with one look 

You knew her courage was unshakable 


She appeared to me like a ghost in the night


Offered me a sharp drink 

To sink before our libidos began to fight


Her real name was truly a mystery to me 


As I wait impatiently by the fireplace 


At The Shadow and Key 

For her return 


But when I pause and reflect 

Will I ever learn


And like so many before me 


Will I come to eventually understand


That she's just one of the many saboteurs 


Sent by the hidden Masters at Arms 


Like wild-eyed birds as this world turns 


Or am I just another blind fool 

Looking for love 


As the world stands at one minute to midnight


Before everything goes nuclear and everyone burns 


At The Shadow and Key 

My humble abode


By the raging blue sea


(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Channelling HP Lovecraft

 


Part 1

(A lone voice whispers)


At the Most High Temple
On the unmapped mountains 

Once climbed recklessly by illuminated souls such as 

Nostradamus or Louis Bellefontaine 

To meet the neverending sensation

The imperceptible incarnation emitting that magnetic pull and lull

Which haunted their every waking seconds and vivid dreams
With its unwarranted invasion

Who many contemporary colleagues 

Then viewed as touched with a trace of Darkened Lilith Madness

For when the Mighty Dagon 
The mythical beast of the Deep North Sea 

Heard my calls for knowledge and wisdom 

Sent blowing like paper boats
Sailing through the world's silence 

Of the vicious violence in the Middle East

Overflowing with prayers 
Spiritually charged with erratic need 

He too sent me a personal invitation
Which would lead me into a new age of transformation 

To the lonely place where I lived by the raging sea
Known only to a select few 

As The Shadow and The Key

The Dagon
Invisible invader of the human thalamus

The Dream Walker
Whisperer in the Darkness

Came to me in Kansas
At midnight

With lightning and thunder announcing his sudden arrival 
At the Shadow and The Key

It told me deep occult secrets

Only kept in the heavily guarded vaults 
Beyond the Blue Door of the Marianas Trench

Sealed by incarnations and potent harming spells
To deflect the Broken

Seething and entrenched with dark dreams seeking only revenge 

It spoke of red wars
Red rivers
Broken dreams
Torn minds and souls

Power-hungry controlled pawns used by unspoken things like it

Supernatural creatures

Which create their new forms of piety by handing out subliminal lyric sheets 

So they can keep the hypnotised singing their war songs

It warned me of a lady in blue

A shadow walker who would soon call to the Shadow and The Key

And offer me glorious pleasure as we lay entwined by the sea

It said to choose wisely for the Red Wars

The red rivers of Broken Dreams and Torn minds and Souls

Would soon need someone strong 

To lessen the blows from those pulling the strings

For the unseen monsters in control

Someone to soothe their pain with illuminated prose

And then with a crash of white lightning

Striking the fireplace clock 
Right in its timekeeper's small face

It was gone

The Mighty Dogan told me a time and date

She would arrive

Idh-yaa
Or to some Quum-yaa

Cthulhu's Mate
The Mighty Mother or the Gothic Matriarch 

One of the last Great Old Ones 

But to me
Just The Lady in Blue who with her love

Would could carry the velvety tainted baskets 

Filled with the snakes of corruption that could worsen the planet's fate

Well
Today's the foretold date

And the time is tonight at eight

Sitting here by the soft sea
Warm in my refuge from the world 

In my beige smoker's jacket 
In The Shadow and The Key

Shall I answer the door when she knocks and be a gracious host

Or should I ignore it and try to bring hope to the world 

By starting my new form of poetic Renaissance

To soothe the few when they need it the most 

(C)
Copyright John Duffy

Canto Dreams

 


Foundation.


Does society, peer pressure, family or religion, hinder many when searching for love?


(A weary voice whispers)


Like a slave to love

I once looked for true completeness 


But like Beatrice and Dante, 

There was always a great barrier 


Between us


(C)

Copyright John Duffy 



Have you been bewitched, too?

 


(A lone voice whispers) 



Daylight may softly whisper it's but an hour away


But such is the spiritual power of your divine company, 


I will stay


Transformed emotionally beyond all known boundaries of esoteric norm 


By your captivating form


While your carefully chosen words like spoken spells


Holds me and unfolds me

And it's where I want to forever stay


An hour away from sunrise, 

Laid together 


Entwined 


Listening to the early morning birds play 


(C)

Copyright John Duffy 


Foundation.


Have you ever experienced that magical moment, when you want the night to never end?

The letter to Annabelle

 



Foundation.

Even after all these years, do you still remember someone special?

Title.
A View to a Kill.

(A lone voice whispers as a man in a nursing home writes his last diary letter)

From beyond the sacred river

Came fear like a lone-wolf stalking in the Wild Canadian cold.

I know what we had I should have clung onto like precious gold. 

But curiosity called me like Ligeia, the siren into her red fold.

So now I'm lost at sea like Peter, who was fishing.

Before someone special appeared at Galilee.

So like autumn leaves, all now on the ground, blowing through my memories wild forests.

No longer green but brown.

Just know I still treasure all the sunsets where we were by angels seen. 

For even though the Fallen One opened his wings and broke us down.

Our old love still sings such a sweet symphony.

That follows me still and makes my heart beat faster, every time. 

I swallow one of your memory pills. 

That returns me like a spy but with no free will.

In my own version of View to a Kill.

This last letter is for Annabelle, my childhood love, who I once knew.

Just know, I've always missed you.

 (C) Copyright John Duffy


Are you a three to seven or eleven or more is heaven?

 



(A lone voice whispers)


Should 21st Century poetry


For the new minds of a culturally bombarded generation 


Be limited from 3 to 7 lines?


Before you answer:


To me personally, even though to answer, makes my Heart aches 


I like reading poetry built around subtlety


Concealed layers or secretive depths

Relatable interchangeable meanings


Powerful raw stuff that sometimes leaves your eyes wet


Unearthed within deciphering their carefully crafted imagery or subtext


3 to 7 lines of reading, might sound like heaven, but I'm old school 


Give me Lord Byron 

Shelley or Keats 


But I guess 

Like an Ode to a Nightingale


Maybe that's the beauty of poetry as She walks in Beauty


And like To a Skylark

It must sing


So I can only hope new generations enjoy poetry, so it continues to thrive and still live 


Within whichever form, and exciting tales that will continue to make their own hearts beat 


With all it can give


But for me

Reading deep poetry 


Feels like sitting briefly, metaphorically, underneath a Cherry Blossom Tree


Enjoying a delicious drop of spiritual tranquility 


Are you too, old school and what emotional fluctuations resonate within you?

 

Are you a three to seven or more like:

Eleven or more is heaven


Reader or writer 

Who enjoys late all-nighters


(C) Copyright John Duffy

Are you just sinful?

 


(A lone voice whispers)


In the beginning 


Did you secretly 

Walk like a curious

Enigmatic Charles Darwin


Looking

Whilst

Lost in Youth


Seeking The Meaning of Sin


To clandestine dark places where


Angels

Without harps 


Profusely lambast and

Sing


Searching

Through concealed ancient manuscript and treatises


Seduced by Mistresses and Masters

Of Seductions


By their ever-changing winds

And rhymes


And now 

Are you still covertly

Only understood 


By a select few


Riding your Pale Horse

Tempestuously


Through lost

Biographies of Old Beliefs


Always on the lookout for engagements


A means to sometimes

Circumvent dark

Carnal release


Or are you still drinking Cool-Aid


From the Matrix’s ever spinning

Propaganda's machine


As the Cosmic Serpent

Of your own Apocalypse


Approaches with such devious guile


Heralding a new divine invasion

Of your own United Nations


So you still dwell in

A new vision of Gilgamesh


Wallowing in previous dark memories of Sins


Of old encounters and embraces


Of its sensuous

Flesh


Or are you a new lost Nikola Tesla


Lost in the folds of deep personal histories


Overwhelmed

With impropriety and greed


Still seemingly held in check


By fingerprints of

Memories Old Gods


But still always courageously

Praying silently to the skies


Trying to save

Your soul


Always praying someone

Hears you and your deeds and comes down 


To intercede


Copyright John Duffy

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Want to start at the beginning?

A blog on WordPress from 2015


Link above. 


Creative writing for over ten years. Starting at the beginning. 

Before poetry and music. 


The transformation from 2015 to 2026 is such a beautiful surprise. 


Where will the evolution be in another ten years? 


Filmmaker! 


Salute. 



Revelation 501

 



(A lone voice whispers) 


Did you know. 

The Matrix tries to rewrite the memory of the new civilisation after the previous one reaches the truth. 


Maybe you are a reborn truth seeker from the past. 


Seeking a means to find clarity on your epic, eternal journey. 


And it's why you're here at last. 


And maybe I'm just another torchbearer amongst many:


 lighting your way. 


Blessed be. Velumbound. 


(C) 

Copyright John Duffy

Middle Eastern Dreams

 


Middle Eastern Dreams, is a somber and allegorical musical piece that reflects on themes of conflict, faith, and the struggle between darkness and light. 


The lyrics paint a picture of a world plagued by war, political greed, and hidden agendas.


Mythical and Literary Imagery: 


The lyrics employ heavy metaphors, referencing a "dark priest" from a "lost city," the "three-headed beast," and the "great lake of Cocytus".


A reference to Cocytus, the river of lamentation in Dante’s Inferno, describing a hellish landscape of "fire and ice".

Salute. 


A song written while enduring grief

 



Exploring themes of longing and deep, lasting affection. 


We love them even more by remembering. 


Salute. 

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

The Calling




This haunting, ritualistic poem blends themes of cosmic inevitability, dark romance, and a surrender to esoteric forces.


The piece functions as an incantation from a primordial void, presenting an inescapable spiritual reckoning and a call to embrace hidden powers. 


Concluding with the blessing of "Velumbound," the verse suggests a permanent, consecrated tie to the mysteries kept behind the veil.


(A lone voice whispers)


 

In the darkest of hours

From the eternal sea


I will one day call to you

As you are found


Will you turn around and embrace my powers


Blessed be

Velumbound... 


(C) 

Copyright John Duffy

Will 2026 change for good or get worse?

 

This poem reads like a symbolic warning or prophecy, written in a mythic, apocalyptic voice rather than a literal narrative.


The speaker is not an ordinary human narrator. 


By the end, they identify themselves as Camael (often spelled Chamuel), an angelic or supernatural figure in various mystical traditions associated with justice, strength, and judgment.


This framing tells us:


The poem speaks from a higher or outside perspective.


It observes humanity over time.

It judges moral and spiritual decline.


The “lone whisper” suggests truth spoken quietly, ignored or unheard by most.


Darkness as Moral Decay.


> “I have seen your world get darker.” Darkness here is ethical and spiritual, not physical.


“Brooks” and “underground streams” imply that corruption flows both openly and hidden.

Society appears polluted at visible and invisible levels.


This suggests:


Moral decay has become normalized.


Corruption runs beneath everyday life, unseen but influential.


Dreams, Illusion, and Avoidance of Truth.


> “I've wandered through dreams with Morpheus.” Morpheus (Greek god of dreams) symbolizes:


Illusion.

Escapism.

Self-deception.


The poem proposes humanity is dreaming instead of waking, choosing fantasy, ideology, or distraction over reality.


> “political-hungry eyes gleam… avoiding the obvious truth”


This is a critique of:


Power-hungry leaders.

Political gamesmanship.

Willful ignorance.


“Hide-and-seek” implies truth isn’t hidden—people are actively avoiding it.


The “Great Book” and the In-Between


> “creatures in The Great Book” “From the Lower Dimension in The Great In-Between”


These phrases blend:


Religious imagery (Book of Life, judgment).


Esoteric or metaphysical ideas (dimensions, liminal spaces). This suggests:


Forces influencing humanity may not be purely human.

Evil can be systemic, spiritual, or ideological.

Humanity exists in a threshold state, capable of falling or awakening.


The Beast Without a Face.


> “A beast hides his face among those where it sows its seeds.” This is one of the poem’s core ideas.

The “beast” likely represents:


Corruption itself.

A system rather than a single villain.

Evil that operates anonymously.


It thrives because people welcome it. Greed and ambition open the door.

Power structures protect it.


The facelessness recommends plausible deniability—no one takes responsibility.


Complicity, Not Just Villains.


> “welcomed willingly into corrupt high or low places”


This line is important:


Corruption is not imposed; it’s invited.

It exists at all levels of society.

Moral failure is collective, not isolated.


> “hungry eyes… bereft of humanity's many Gods good graces”


This implies a spiritual emptiness:


Loss of shared moral values.

Disconnection from conscience, faith, or higher meaning.


The Title: Zinzino


> “a small piece with great value”


Symbolically, this fits perfectly:


Small acts of greed or compromise grow into systemic evil.


Minor moral failures accumulate into darkness.


Tiny choices matter enormously.



It may also hint that:


Truth itself is small, overlooked, but immensely valuable.


Conclusion.


The poem is a warning.

It says:


Humanity is drifting into moral darkness.


Power, greed, and corruption thrive because people allow them to.


Evil no longer needs a face—it operates through systems and silence.


Truth is visible but intentionally avoided.


A higher witness sees this and is sounding an alarm.



It is less about condemning individuals and more about exposing collective moral blindness.


Title.

Zinzino.


(A lone voice whispers)


For many years I have seen your world get darker, be it by brooks or societies underground streams.


I've wandered through dreams with Morpheus the Greek..


Saw political-hungry eyes gleam as they played hide-and-seek when avoiding the obvious truth.


Free from light but dark inside, meeting beside brooks, creatures in The Great Book.


From the Lower Dimension in The Great In-Between.


Just know this, from I, Camael.


A beast hides his face among those where it sows its seeds of greed, corruption, blackmail, and disgrace.


As it's welcomed willingly into corrupt high or low places.


By hungry eyes that gleam, bereft of humanity's many Gods good graces.


(C) Copyright John Duffy 


Image shared under fair usage policy.


The name “Zinzino” is of Italian origin and translates to “a small piece with great value.”

Are you free yet?


 Are You Free Yet" is a spoken-word track that explores themes of spiritual awakening, breaking free from societal conditioning, and personal authenticity.

The video uses the metaphor of the "matrix" to describe a life driven by materialism and superficiality.


Key themes include:


Escaping the Matrix: 


The lyrics urge listeners to look beyond "materialism and worldly wealth" and question whether they are truly living or just following the crowd. 


The Power of the Individual:


 The narrative emphasizes the importance of remaining true to oneself and rising above confinement or defeat. 


It encourages listeners to develop an "indomitable will" rather than being assimilated into the masses. 


The Light of Truth:


 The song advocates for "truth, compassion, and kindness" as tools to illuminate the "darkest of corners", suggesting that inner strength is found through faith, conviction, and rising from past pain. 


Salute. 

Are you rebellious?

 


Be Rebellious featuring Clinton R. Johnson & Darren Curtis, is a spoken-word piece that encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and reject societal pressures to conform.


Authenticity: 


The speaker urges listeners to stay true to themselves despite peer, social, or political pressure. 


They emphasize that even if you lose things you deem irreplaceable, you must never lose your sense of self. 


Courage and Rebellion:

 The narrative promotes being a "rebel to the system" rather than conforming to rigid societal expectations, encouraging listeners to be strong, humble, and brave enough to express their own views. 

Consciousness and Inspiration:


The piece touches on higher consciousness and the importance of seeking insight into our existence and spiritual essence


It also stresses the value of surrounding yourself with people who inspire and lift you up. 


Self-Belief: 


The underlying message is that it is never too late to change and that everyone is born to achieve great things if they listen to their inner voice rather than just logical constraints. 



Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Are you warrior

 


Are You a Warrior by JD (feat. Clinton R. Johnson and Darren Curtis) is a motivational and introspective piece that explores themes of self-discovery, heritage, and personal strength.


 The song encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and recognize the connection they hold to their ancestors.

The tale of the musician


 "The Guitar Man" (feat. Steve Altham) is a song that seems to reflect on the surface, a life dedicated to music and the road. 


But:


The Bargain: 


When interviewer Ed Bradley asked Bob Dylan why he was still touring after so many decades, Dylan replied that he made a "bargain" a long time ago and was just holding up his end of it. 


Source:

A famously cryptic 2004 interview on 60 Minutes. 


The deal maker:


"The "Chief Commander": 


When asked who the bargain was with, Dylan said it was with the "chief commander—on this earth and in the world we can't see".  


And guess what. 


He's still on tour. 


Let's look at his wealth. 


The Songwriting Catalog Sale (2020):


 Dylan sold 100% of his publishing rights (covering the lyrics and melodies of over 600 songs) to Universal Music Publishing Group for an estimated $300 million to $400 million. 

 He sold his actual physical recordings (his master tracks spanning his entire 60-year career) to Sony Music Entertainment for an estimated $150 million to $200 million.


Between these two deals alone, Dylan brought in over half a billion dollars before taxes, liquidating most of his music rights.


 Earnings Per Concert Gig.


When it comes to his ongoing live shows, Dylan’s financials look very different from other stadium-level rock stars:Estimated Per-Show Fee: 


Dylan reportedly commands between $150,000 and $300,000.


He was born on May 24, 1941.


For decades, Bob Dylan has been famous for a relentless schedule known as the "Never Ending Tour," which he officially launched on June 7, 1988.


 From that point onward, he played roughly 100 shows every single year without fail, accumulating well over 3,000 concerts.  


However, his continuous streak was broken by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of global lockdowns and health safety measures, he did not tour in 2020, forcing him to cancel strings of dates in Japan and North America. 


 Aside from that forced hiatus, his timeline highlights an incredible work ethic:


The "Never Ending Tour" (1988–2019): Over 30 continuous years of constant live performances across six continents.


The Return (2021–Present): 


He returned to the stage in November 2021 with the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which has continued.  


Before 1988, his touring was much more sporadic—taking extended breaks in the late 1960s and mid-1970s—but for the last nearly 40 years, he has spent almost every year on the road. 


Did he do a deal to become a world famous musician? 


But did the Devil trick him after the deal was signed? 


And changed the terms to making him go on tour nearly every year. 


And if he doesn't. 


He will call to collect his soul. 


Look at the facts. 


At 85 years old, with half a billion in the bank. 


Would you still be traveling, singing old songs to smaller and smaller audiences? 


Do you think he sold his soul? 


Listen to the lyrics. 

Salute. 

?

 


The question of:

Has Love Found You Yet, is a poetic and emotional exploration of love, connection, and intimacy.

 Set to a backdrop of music, the narrative reflects on the anticipation of finding love and the transformative power of a romantic connection.

I hope so. 
Salute. 

Monday, September 14, 2026

Transmission


Filming location secured for next year. And so this crazy ride continues. 

Would you smile when my transmissions appear on your television? 

Would you say, I know him? 


Produced by John Duffy Productions

 (C) 

Copyright John Duffy

Sunday, September 13, 2026

In the pursuit of victory

 



These lyrics explore themes of creative drive, personal conviction, and embracing the unknown through the central metaphor of a relentless "strange beat." 


The tone is defiant and urgent, capturing a narrator who rejects comfort in favour of pursuing their inner truth. 


Structurally, the song uses rhythmic repetition and dynamic shifts to mirror the pulsing internal journey described in the text. 


Maybe you know the feeling. 


Salute. 


Title. 

In the pursuit of Victory


(A lone voice whispers) 


Blessed be

Velumbound


Well, I'm walkin' down these streets


Running inside

To a strange beat


Only the tryers know


God damn

That beat takes me

Everywhere I go



I've got things crawling like ivy

All over my mind


Things that want me

To change me


To be...


And be true friends of mine


Some say I'm going crazy

And I should slow down


Take it easy


But I'm walkin' down these streets


Running inside

To a strange beat


Only the tryers know

God damn...


That beat takes me

Everywhere I go


For there's a strange beat

Running through my soul


A beat

That won't let me go


I don't know where it's taking me

But I know I have to find


What is waiting in the darkness


On the other side of my mind


I know it's sweet love

Is gonna save me


We could lose

Or we could win


But we will never

Be here again


So I'm walkin' down these mean streets...


Running inside...

To a strange beat...



Only the tryers know


God damn...


That beat takes me

Everywhere I go


Some say I'm going crazy

And I should slow down


Take it easy


But you know what?


Us truers aren't built

To live lazy


When looking for that something 


To drive us crazy


(C) 

Copyright John Duffy

Captivated