THE SHIFTING SANDS OF TIME

The shifting sands of time


Amidst the soft Phoenician sands
And lovesick incense smoke
I walked in copper skin suntanned
For months in my dusted cloak

I lived a life of blood and pain
For branded was I alas
A bandit was I the townsmen proclaimed
To whom I did harass

They stoned me now and stoned me then
For fear of pain and respite
They soured my drink and burned my den
What pain I gave.. What fright

My story said was ten moons old
A story so bloodstained
To listen was to be bold
A grisly harrowing bane

It was the day of festive cheer
and food and wine did flow
for that day so said a fakir
Satan received its deathblow

The food was rich and the wine was sweet
The women were radiant and a delight
The moon shone bright in the silvery sand
And the clouds were out of sight

But whilst the cheers and the jeers went by
I saw a snake slither across
Fire in its eyes and tongue alive
And soon there was chaos

The men went here the men went there
But I towards the reptile
I smote it in a moments wrath
And burned the creature vile

The village praised my every word
And claimed I was their god
The same men grew resltless and jittered
when and elder dreamt satan’s jihad


they cursed me then then and knifed me wild
they said I was the cause
they ordered that I be exiled
and threw me amidst guffaws

I walked the sands and drank the wind
For my camel was my mate
My heart was dry and much chagrined
At my unexplainable state

I dare not goeth far from town
And lurked close to its ancient sign
For I was told that to be lost in the brown
Was to lose the only lifeline

For months I ate the beasts I killed
And drank the water sparse
And dreamt that my leather sack was filled
Oh god why this painful farce ?

Then a day came by as if a grain of sand
And the town was hit with plague
And one by one the mighty and grand
Fell into a stupor vague

They walked the sands and ate the food
But eyes betrayed their deaths
they looked like ghosts and guffawed crude
Of rotting flesh their breaths

Pale and weak , and flies that bit
A morbid state it was
I saw them die and candles were lit
Never stopped the oozing gauge.

And soon there was when the town was dead
And all there was were corpses
My heart was atear and my eyes were red
The world collapses!

And then I looked up to heaven
And saw the reason of exile
I thanked to god and the drink did sweeten
And on my lips a smile



For God had pulled me out of the fire
And showing me the asp
I had earned the towsmen’s ire
But was in his protecting Grasp.