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Pete Murphy - Balthazar

from Chaotic. Good. by Stephen Wordsmith

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Tis neither good for man nor beast

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The Salamander Balthazar
Impressive by its name
A creature frigid cold of blood
Yet born of raging flame

It twines each tree with toxin
And sacred fire it slings
Its skin the suit of emperors
Its hair the robes of kings

So long ago, a Balthazar
This lord of every land
Once found itself within the clutch
Of one old wrinkled hand

It thrashed its limbs of litheness
Its jaw would snap and nip
But all this pomp and circumstance
For naught - he held his grip

As man and beast were tickled by
The gentle kiss of rain

The old man's grin was crooked
As the harried beast would lurch
Relief sat on his forehead
As success became his search

Then tossed within a canvas bag
Was Balthazar the chief
As wizened fingers set once more
To turn each stone and leaf

As frantically he foraged for
Another soul to glean
For what's a king of searing light
Without his fiery queen?

He pulled, he clawed, he tore aside
He flinched, he second-guessed
Determined that he wouldn't meet
With failure in his quest

As man and beast were smattered
With the cold caress of rain

Bedraggled beard and sandals blunt
The man came frantic in his hunt
Through ravaged logs and sodden ground
No Eve for Adam could be found
This blazing star without a mate,
The old man fled, disconsolate
As winds and tides and clouds would swell
Consigning all to misty hell!

And man and beast were bitten
By the wintry teeth of rain

The Salamander Balthazar
Was then, at last released
He scurried back onto the grounds
He owned from west to east

And saw the parting shoulders
Of this man of many years
The raindrops on his robefront mixed
With bitter, stinging tears

He turned once more, and murmured
One last prayer of anguished thanks
Then placed a weary sole upon
His vessel's wooden planks

With Balthazar left wondering
Who was that ragged man?
And never quite to understand
The essence of his plan

And man and beast saw forty days
And forty nights of rain...

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credits

from Chaotic. Good., released March 11, 2018
Lyrics by Stephen Wort
Vocals, composition and all music by Pete Murphy: petemurphy.bandcamp.com

Recorded for February Album Writing Month 2017

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Stephen Wordsmith Wellington, New Zealand

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