As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

8- ❂❂❂ -XIV

She's bound upon a pyre screaming out

until she's gagg'd to stifle out her cries.

Our Preacher freezes; blood is draining down

and deep inside a conflict reignites

betwixt the grey and black and white of soul.

Atop the platform there's a friar who

a torch alight doth hand his Chaplain now,

who wobbles holding out the instrument

in order to maintain his balance on

his rickety and ragged skeleton                10

so gnarled with contempt and jealous rage

beneath his robe, which he's unleash'd upon

our Preacher, coming to a head aflame

within his hand now held above the wood

and wreckage making up the stake at which

the Doll is struggling in a panick'd fit.

The Chaplain smirks, absorbs the moment in,

and says unto the crowd who's found our man:

"The hand that feeds is wash'd by th'hand that thieves,

so do away with both and free our streets."                20

He draws his arm to cast the flame at Doll,

but ere he hath the chance to cast the torch

an arrow strikes his calf and snaps his knee

so that he falls aback the place he stands

and drops the flame upon his writhing form

to set himself alight in agony

with raging lapis tongues to lap his flesh

and cries that grate upon the people's hearts,

and set a panic over all the crowd

that turns to further rage directed at                30

our Preacher, who's accus'd of killing their

dear Prophet as the torch now rolls toward

the pyre, setting fire 'neath the Doll

which causes in his form, a flame to take

control of him betwixt the warring two,

so now his soul of twilit whole divides

by panick'd racing mind again in twine.

He lifts his Glove, again demonic hand,

for now he knows the mercies that he gave

were naught but sentences toward a hell,                40

and here Pariah makes to cast his ash

upon this city taking what he loves.

But on the pyre Hunter now appears

with bow upon his back and arrowhead

in hand, t'emancipate the Doll from flame,

and through the din he calls toward our man: