Glow Worm

Up the snowy spires, where the air is thin as glass

Once a year the cold mists clear and you can see inside the earth

High in that crystal palace I built a sailing ship

Mast and wheel of polished brass, sails of golden silk

I piped the engine steam, I set velocitations

I consulted dusty maps, set careful calibrations

Ever inward ever in, peering through my scope

I sailed deep into the hollows, deep inside the earth

I traveled a boiling river through streams of mercury

Underneath volcanoes and the roots of ancient trees

Underneath stalactites I lit phosphorus lamps

Sparks snapped into the air and coiled up the mast

I watched enormous birds diving through the slate

As I stood upon the prow in my oilskin cap and cape

At last my anchor caught and echoed through the stone

And I climbed an old rope ladder miles through the gloam

Then up above I saw it, a glowworm’s little light

And I reached out and caught it in the center of the night

Tightly in my fist I held that glowing worm

Deep down in the hollows I held the center of the world

Lizard

Granny green was stooped as a windblown branch

She lived high in the bramble forest

Once a fortnight, if the moon shone right she came down to our little village

She brought blackberries and willow bark, mandrake root and mushrooms

And it was said she spoke the tongue of birds

And understood the river’s whispers

Now several girls among our town by a golden lizard they were bitten

And those sweet girls lay stiff in their beds like frozen ice up on the branches

Granny green mixed a tonic for their ills but it was such a bitter tonic

All who drank began to dance and could not stop their dancing

But none would have danced one sinful step

If that old crone had not bewitched us

How we leaped and pranced and cackled, the whole town writhing madmen

And so desperate grew some to still their feet they dove into the raging river

Still we danced on day and night till our fine clothes were torn and ragged

And crying out, “oh, lord, make us stop!” we danced naked round the chapel

How granny laughed to see such sin.

“It’s just water,” she said, “in my tonic!”

But all cried out, “she lies! She surely lies!” and chased her deep into the bramble

But like the four winds she disappeared

Though we searched round and round the branches

Rolling in leaves and naked ‘neath the trees we lost the way back to our village

But I swear we were all pure of heart till that old crone did bewitch us

And I know we will all go home, when the good lord returns to save us