Night falls nigh unto the world-
A watchman, as stone,
Eyes like the eagle,
Watches over his homeplace.
The brisk air of the quiet night-
Caresses his skin-
Soft as the hand of a loved wife.
The sun is in slumber, as the rest of earth-
The watchman, the moon;
He slumbers by day,
And is alone,
Awake by night.
His name is unspoken,
No record of his birth-
A life alone,
A crucial role, yet unknown.
But he carries the weight,
But not alone.
There is a larger Watchman carrying the load.
But the watchman sat there and he saw,
That the dark world has many a flaw-
Crimes and fear,
A willow's tears;
He watches the criminal vagabond.
And a hush silenced the night air-
And the shouts were quiet,
And the slumbering sound.
And his people, all blind to his protection,
Were now asleep as some hit the ground-
As the air grew cold like Pluto's waters,
And there came a deathly apprehension.
There lay a serpent on his very boot.
And a voice whispered, sultry-
"Your God is weak, your God faulty.
You're alone, your calling is futile."
The serpent coiled its body around his leg-
"Rebuke me in His Name;
He is weak, I am eternal-
So that I spare you, now beg!"
The watchman strained as the beast slithered.
And the serpent's scales were fine-
Its eyes of all deceit,
It tempts the seeing, and poisons those blind.
Like cyanide in wine, a whitewashed grave-
Lust as love,
Corpses in bags adorned in ore that is sweet.
And the serpent became as beauty-
A gorgeous angel,
With hair of gold-
Adorned in gemstone-
Fewer found than diamond,
More scarce than ruby.
And the tempter took the still man-
Grabbed him by his hand-
Showed him families-
Children together,
Playing and laughing in the dry sand.
"You may be as them-
Loved, warm.
Is it not enticing?
The weak, soft heart you know you hold?"
"But you know, you know you desire love-
Your hands are heavy,
You're a burden to yourself.
You want it, I see all."
"I know you, watchman.
I've been alone,
Abandoned-
And I can give you your deepest ask."
The whisperer came near-
And he spoke so soft in his ear;
The watchman knew his desire-
And for the first time,
He feared giving in to the serpent's fire!
"Do not fear, man-
Your Lord can forgive.
Your actions will be forgotten;
You will not begin to rot."
"You're just weak-
Too feeble to speak;
Your tongue is tied in my undying hands.
You will give in to me, my desire is so grand."
Yet there, far beside the watchman-
Was a soft voice, and a figure, watching.
"Don't be deceived." Said the quiet voice-
And before him, satan truly showed himself.
The devil's face now was mangled,
And his eyes were lethal-
The watchman tightened,
Fear exposed.
And the incarnation then lunged,
Then the watchman fell,
Shouting in fear for the very first time-
Yet as he beheld;
Satan vanished,
And before him-
The watchman's Watchman.
