Stunning stuff Deb.

Thank you, world's bestest mama-in-law.

Your son, BTW, came and stared uncomprehendingly at it over my shoulder, while apologising for not having the "poetry gene". I patted him on the shoulder consolingly, and told him it was OK.

And one more Bowie drabble.

Young Americans

She picked him up just after sunset, near the backstage door of Madison Square Garden.

He was a fox, in a heroin-chic, underfed way; skinny, muscled, all black leather and bleached hair. His name, he said, was Spike; he was on the guest list. Did she want to hang out backstage, and watch Ziggy Stardust? Oh hell yes, she did. She took his arm, oddly cold, and went inside.

The Spiders from Mars burned, and nearly everyone staggered out into the chilly Manhattan dawn. They found her under the stage the next morning, but by then, everyone had moved on.

You are on a roll!

Kaiser?

Sorry.

Kaiser?

Dutch Crunch.

I'm proud of this drabble even though it's not from any Jossverse, and in fact was just intended to be...fanfiction methadone, if you will. [link] (Thought somebody might miss my Munchkin...I do, but then love is hopeless, isn't it?) Even though it's off-length, I think it is the best fanfic drabble I've written. Which in some circles is like the prettiest skin infection, but I know y'all understand.

erika, I damn near swooned over that. Comment in your lj.

This week's open on sunday challenge is poetry (I did that last week, damnit!)

First one, to Michael Drayton's "Since There's No Help". THe episode ref should be pretty obvious.

Since There's No Help

Since there's no help, come let us kiss and part

For a day, just a day, he was human again. He could laugh, weep, love. He could eat ice cream, shivering, warm blood expanding his veins as she licked a drop from his nipple.

Nay, I have done, you get no more of me

The Powers allowed him humanity. But it made him weak, no help to her. Now, wisdom triumphing over love, he's renounced it.

"When?" She clings hard, her face wet.

Shake hands forever, cancel all our vows.

"Now," he tells her, and watches her kiss memory goodbye.

The weird part is, Deb, me too. Right in the middle of kvetching about "Who writes these challenges? I bet it's the psycho who writes those 'L&O attorneys as babies' stories(I shit you not) And, damn, something kind of spoke through me in it.

Mmmm, baked apples.....

Second poetry challenge.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

My candle burns at both ends

They go down together, down the shadow-haunted hallways, down into the bowels of the earth where the darkness comes from. There are others, weapons ready, lives in abeyence. But first there are these two.

It will not last the night

From above, they look down. Below is a seething pit of danger, Turok-hans, teeth, power, death waiting to happen.

But ah my foes, and oh, my friends-

Their eyes meet: golden Buffy, night-dark Faith. Together, they turn.

It gives a lovely light!

"Go," Buffy says calmly, and the firestorm, slayers against First Evil, begins.