With a capital G (All the lower-case chaps have disbanded); And if nobody knows How at first I arose- Well neither do I to be candid.
But it seems (though it's queer) That I've always been here. As for kinsfolk I fear I have none; No father or mother, No sister or brother, - Just me and a ghost and his son.
But, surrounded by Night, I requested a light And the whole thing just snowballed from there.
I thought it divine That concoction of mine As I spun it around to inspect it; But (the workings of Fate!) I discovered too late There was no one but me to direct it.
I could possibly make Was to put man and wife on the planet; It was soon overflowing From what they called 'knowing' And I rued that I ever began it.
At their praising and prayer Who implore me to bow down an ear And attend to their craving, Confessing and raving, - It's hell, I can tell you, up here!
Of trivial transgressions - I've heard them so often before; To be fair, the Cistercians Have novel diversions But the rest are a terrible bore.
Petitions are worse (In fact they're a curse) As they tend to conflict and confuse me; So sometimes I'll say: "To the devil and pray!" (I shouldn't, of course -
do excuse me).
Some pray for a war (They imagine I'm Thor) And others that peace shall obtain; While for every one Who solicits for sun There's another who wants it to rain.
And as for the praises - I hate all those phrases Like Father Divine and Almighty; And my critical taste Hasn't ever embraced The Te Deum (still less the Venite).
So I turn a deaf ear To confessions, petitions and praise; But then nobody knows (All they say is it shows That I move in mysterious ways).
I'd relinquish my post And retire with the ghost If his son would accept it instead; But he's long had his eye on Returning to Zion And judging the quick and the dead.
Till he's finished down there, And I say when I'm low now and then: "I'll be here with the ghost And the heavenly host For ever and ever.
Amen." |