The Bite-Comus

The Bite - Comus The wolf's lough eerie cracks the humid night air The rabbit freezes the fox in his lair The owl hoots shrilly searching the dark The moon white flangs through the trees tall and stark Who would emerge on a night like this Who would loose his bonds and greet the air with a hiss The battered Christian down his head in despair The crown of sharp thorns revealed 'neath his hair His scrawny body worn tnin by the trial Stand taut and painful on the pilgrim's last mile A million fleshy things converge upon the spot His eye retort the atmosphere is hot The wolf sniffs ivory fanged he bristles up his spine The fox smiles knowingly but dares not step out of line Through the twisting crushing silence The broken Christian creeps Each footstep like a thunderclap Among the trunky deeps No bird make sound no creature moves To break the gripping air The Christian he raises, his hand up to his mouth But for a whisper he cannot dare The Christian wakes trembles with sweat The cell's dark walls stony and wet Metallic echoes as the bolts are drawn back The doors swing inwards dull light through the crack The jailer looks indifferent to him The routine morning martyr's death for him A misty cold sad morning Greets the Christian's haggard grin The rope is slung and the noose is tied But Christian's neck is thin The block is raised he stands erect The rope beneath his chin They pull the block And the Christian drops He hangs above the scene.