removed as per the request of the Author

How do you see me?
You used to call me friend.
But I told you what I am,
And now you call me a freak.

How do you feel about me?
You used to say you loved me.
But now you know the real me,
You look at me with disgust.

Why do you shun me?
We used to be inseparable.
But since I told you how it is,
You avoid me all the time.

Why do you fear me?
You used to say I made you safe.
But now you know the needs I have,
I see in you only mistrust.

Why forsake me now?

These knees have been scarred by the faith
Flowing through the veins of a fragile man
Fingers purple, interlaced and woven
Head bowed and broken by repentance
Wounds healed with grace and love
Ripped open again by ignorant sin
Wishing only brings about another torment
Luck exists only through logic
Enlightenment comes through the touch of a hand
Believe, ask, know it shall be
One breath brings in chaos
Another allows this silent peace

Proximo
June 4, 2001

Vampires in our culture? Yeah, sure, there's a lot of vampire stuff out at Halloween. But most people see vampires nearly everyday, the other 364 days a year, and don't even know it. To begin to study vampires in pop culture, we must first identify all the places they pop up.

The vampire has held its place in superstition as long as any other creature. The vampire of today is, for the most part, quite different from the one of ancient times. In researching the vampire lore, I attempted to find out just how different they are. I wondered what people thought of them now compared to yesteryear.