THE MIMIC'S PROMENADE

The wondrous wizard speaks of things,

That has no meaning now

And gestures to his handmaiden,

Who nods, and courtly bows

Through the door to see the sorcerer,

Who’s been raising quite a row?

The nurse and I went for a walk,

To keep my toes alive

She said I was too old for dolls,

But I'm only sixty-five.

The ghost of Hamlet's father screams,

And hides inside a wall

Not to be seen by the sorcerer,

Returning from a ball

But, he saw him anyway, you know,

Magicians see us all.

Sister, sister, come and see,

My friends have come to play

They brought me jolly candy sticks,

Why not let them stay

Why do they go away?

The jester and the mighty king,

Have joined the great parade

Telling jokes and making laws,

That keeps us all afraid

But, then he gets his parts confused,

Which ends his sad charade.

The gallant knight comes dressed in white,

Advancing with his lance

And once we have been touched by it,

We lose the will to dance

The greatest warlock of them all,

Has but us in his spell

And sends us to our clean white cells,

Where we are asked to dwell.

(l.s.d. 1969)