The Piper

 

 

I sing, I dance, I play my flute

with skill that gleans the smallest heart.

My robes are bright and stained throughout

with red and green and blue, as if

the rainbow bore my clothes herself.

With scintillating eyes and a sharp wit,

I spy the little ones wherever they are. 

I raise my flute to lips of rose,

and blow the tunes all hearts must know.

My feet will tap and lead away,

from home, or hearth, or crag, or crack,

with fur of brown or plump fingers

they can’t resist my tap or tune. 

First, the brown rats

that plague your town, which over run

and bring the dark.  You have no skills

nor wit so sharp, you asked me here

to use my flute, and lead away

your rats, who bring decay and stay.

A beguiling tune I played on my flute

and led your rats out of your town.

You swindled me the promised fee,

so darkness in my heart was raised,

when seeing true your veiled ambition.

So to my lips was placed my flute

to play a strain

for cherubs loved

by town in vain.

Their fingers plump and cheeks so red

with bellies full of meat and bread,

their laughter was to moms and dads

like air to breathe and sleep to have. 

So without fee, I began to play

bewitching tunes near home and hearth

and tap my feet to songs allure

and lead away the hearts so pure. 

We danced and skipped and formed a line,

and to the edges of town we went. 

Beyond we danced and sang away

to flute and tap, their children danced

to places far abroad

not once to see the town again.