Friendly Fools

All along the road less travelled
Where shadows still abound;
I met a youngish spriteful man
wearing sorrow in his gown
Said me to him "Hey you,
are you walking along my way?
If you are and are alone,
then do join me for the day"
He said not a word but followed me
as I blissfully trod along
But when I started reminiscing,
he broke out into song:
"Life's too short to recollect,
and spend time in the past
Whether 'tis for friends long gone
Or some faraway young lass"
We spent the day cavorting
and to night it quickly turned
And with the light extinguished
the shadows more deeply burned
Sitting beside the glowing fire
that threw embers in the air
My new found friend thought silently
and twiddled his fingers into his hair.
We ate what nature offered us;
We did not go a-hunting
For we felt He would provide for us
and not leave us a-wanting
As we padded the ground with leaves
that had long since turned brown
My companion's mood sunk suddenly
and his smile turned to a frown
He spoke aloud once supine,
his words directed at the stars
"Would you accept a small barter,
if I told you I have the power?
Your soul for the rest of your life
spent in wondrous happiness
And – No – I'm not the devil,
I'm with you – this is just a test

See what I am is an angel,
an agent of the Lord
But we don't do his bidding constantly,
sometimes we just get bored
And for once think for yourself,
not about what you've been told to do
All those parables, all those texts,
don't apply with what you've been through.
Yes, I'd know, I've been watching you.
You're what you could call my ward
I'm the go-to guy for your prayers,
the middleman to your God.
We don't get much by way of payment,
just immortality and all that jazz
But we're allowed to fuck around once
and tease our wards real bad.
And yes, in case you’re wondering,
I’ve made this offer before
Let me give you some examples,
to show you what’s in store”
And he reached to me and showed me
(in his own mysterious way)
Those who had come before me
and had accepted his hefty wage
Emboldened, with the sun rising,
I turned to him once more
“Could you show me – if I rejected you –
what my life has yet in store”
And then he showed me misery,
my own suffering beyond belief.
The tides would pull more fervently
and I would be forever bound with grief
I had no time to think,
(and that’s exactly what he had predicted
Who knew this joyful little man
could have been in truth so vindictive)
“Make your choice before the sun
strikes the roots of yonder trees
Or I’ll disappear forevermore
and you’ll be eternally on your knees”
So I sold my sold to my new found friend
and gleefully he cried
“I’ve been called crazy before
but y’know I’m just you inside.
See how the sun approaches,
and lo, I’m still standing here.
Our barter stands on mutual lands,
but I’m not the powers that you fear.
For those are reserved for you –
you loathe what you’ve become”
And just like that the day had broken
and his face shown from the sun.

Decades it’s been and I’m still here.
As for my soul I cannot say.
What happened during that fateful night,
and what happened the following day
For there's no such thing as the devil,
the horns and pitchfork are myth
True evil lies within us all,
it’s up to us to see it and admit.
And for those who feel they’re justified
and righteous in their path
Fall under the sin of arrogance,
and will still incur His wrath
That’s of course if you’re assuming
that there’s someone up on high
For all you know it could be a bluff,
another frolicking friend of the night.
You see just as a word has different meanings,
based on the parties that are involved
A soul that’s been sold can always be justified
by the way the story has been told.
And my story’s far from over,
for I’ve still many miles to go.
But know this, the path that you take
will rarely be the yellow brick road.
There are struggles that you will face
that will put your firmest beliefs to test
And through it all don't ever forget,
you’re just like all the rest.
God and his hosts, they may exist,
and if they did it would be great
But so long as you’re here you’re on your own,
the master of your own fate.
Right or wrong, these are defined
by the truth you mould yourself
And that’s the simple fact to it,
there’s nothing really left to tell.

The last laugh

I know not, nor can I tell
Whether ‘tis right for me to speak
Of how thine words afflict my mind
And leave my heart so weak

You are such stuff that dreams are made
And the treasure that all men seek
The destination for this broken road
The faith behind all beliefs

But if all the world’s a stage
And thespians we all must be,
Clad in pied clothing, always a-joking
I’ll play my part happily

For I know not nor can I tell
Of what stuff am I to thee
If ‘tis only fools that do rush in
Then a clown forever I’ll be