“The Thief at the Masque”
Wine, champagne, scaly drink
music of all notes
food for the overfed
black and purple cushions
heavy spice, silent sigh
rustle of fabric, peek of lace
glittering, twinkling jewels
feathers, gold faces
The king this night, the comic relief
masked governors and ladies
poets all mercilessly silent
only the fool dances
Son of a white sorceress
Only child of the strange woman
Intoxicating young charm, ancient magic
He slips the necklace from a queen
Smiling, he takes the noble coin
With a whisper, the blessings for the sick
He steals the aroma of incense
Captures the flame from the candle
He wiles the ring away
from the peasant girl’s finger
and then prances off
wearing the rich man’s name
He’d give up his trade for no one
and stretches across an empty bed
the love of his mind are tricks
tokens and secrets and lies
a mummy’s curse, a scholar’s brain
a minstrel’s tale, Cupid’s powers
a royal kiss, a tender last good-bye
the melody of a song, a bird’s voice
In his bottle the morning rain
under his bed a monster
What he wants, he will have
what he has, he will keep
though the king and his men
though the queen and her maids
though Shadowmoss himself
or the magician lady’s servant
search for this man
A magician thief is illusion
Wine, champagne, scaly drink
music of all notes
food for the overfed
black and purple cushions
heavy spice, silent sigh
rustle of fabric, peek of lace
glittering, twinkling jewels
feathers, gold faces
The king this night, the comic relief
masked governors and ladies
poets all mercilessly silent
only the fool dances
Son of a white sorceress
Only child of the strange woman
Intoxicating young charm, ancient magic
He slips the necklace from a queen
Smiling, he takes the noble coin
With a whisper, the blessings for the sick
He steals the aroma of incense
Captures the flame from the candle
He wiles the ring away
from the peasant girl’s finger
and then prances off
wearing the rich man’s name
He’d give up his trade for no one
and stretches across an empty bed
the love of his mind are tricks
tokens and secrets and lies
a mummy’s curse, a scholar’s brain
a minstrel’s tale, Cupid’s powers
a royal kiss, a tender last good-bye
the melody of a song, a bird’s voice
In his bottle the morning rain
under his bed a monster
What he wants, he will have
what he has, he will keep
though the king and his men
though the queen and her maids
though Shadowmoss himself
or the magician lady’s servant
search for this man
A magician thief is illusion
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