The wind blew so cold
through the light, dusty snow
small, frosty shapes settled
on fingers and toes
I came to a lamp post
the strangest of sights
And underneath it stood a man
in the warm, mellow light
And his eyes
they were dark and they were kind
With two horns
atop his head
he beckoned me come with him
to share a cup of tea
Together we walked
through the deepening snow
He held a pile of presents trussed up
with brown paper and bows
Before long we came
to a cave in ground
but not so much a cave
as a home underground
And his eyes
they were dark and they were kind
with two horns atop his head
he beckoned me inside
to share his warm and light
He settled her down
at a chair near the fire
busying himself with the kettle
she couldn't help but admire
the way that he kept
this simplest of homes
scarves and plants brought to life
the cold, hard stone
And his eyes
they were dark and they were kind
with two horns atop his head
he beckoned me to sit
and drink by the fire's light
He drew out a flute
a curious thing
And with music he wove
the most beautiful things
Long-past tales he spun
through each musical note
And my mind longed to drift
on his song like a lazy, bobbing boat
And the song
it was joy and woe combined
lulling sleep through silken words
spun in music through the mind
and she drank it, every note
Her eyes flickered open
the window was dark
In a curious turn
he lay still as a statue in the park
He shared then a secret
a terrible truth
And together they ran from his door
while the two of them
still had youth
And the sound
was of wolves upon the night
footfalls far of yet so near
sounds howling of met their ears
As they pounded through the night
They paused at the lamp post
to help catch their breath
It was then she knew
he'd chosen her life over his death
He pointed to finger
to the way she had come
And with a final glance back
she fled to the trees to lead her home
And his eyes
they were dark and they were kind
with two horns atop his head
he waved to me once more
as the lantern's pale light fled
TheWeeScottie
