He Gave Me The Malus

[Atom Heart]

He Gave Me The Malus

The chapel Yeoman struck the silver bell
to let the populace turn back
their soured purchases of frivolty
on order all the way from Hell.

He was just following the words he heard
from the priests in his confession
the hollow rumblings of the bison lord
from the place he was interred.

And then the mob they surrounded him
and bade him to come down alone
then having had no other choice in this
they tore his soul from limb-to-limb.

I saw the yeoman fall in his death throes
he summoned me to carry on
and gave to me his malus then
and started to rapidly decompose.

And in the belfry where he left his mark
I gave the bell another ring
to scare the heathens in the street below
and send them fleeing in the dark.

But they the mob they danced as elves
and were not easily dismayed
"We shall not flee from a petty-man" they cried
for they were petty-men themselves.

"You have left me then no choice" I shouted
but not one of them moved at all
the earth opened up and swallowed them
for insulting the one they doubted.

And I the chapel Yeoman struck the bell
to let the rest of them turn back
the voices of the night they had heard from the void
the voices calling them from Hell.