The Man Who Loved a Harlot

A beautiful bride, her pilfered pride brought to tears
By the Syndrome and his finest feature: an all-consuming fear.
Rape erased remorse and reason, too ravaged to recall.
"Is your phantom's love truly better than no love at all?"
We'd come to kill our hope by leaving childhood behind,
That very hope that ignites the lights in the hearts of humankind.

While he searched the streets and called her name, she'd been rendered paralyzed;

"Please don't run!"

She feared his wrath, yet he would have wiped the tears from her eyes.

"The dawn will come!"

And though she didn't understand, and lost her gift to give,

"Our hopes burn brighter than the rising sun!"

The man who loved that harlot would have died to see her live.

"I know what you have done has destroyed your peace,
But you must know that my heart pangs for your release.
I know these shadows, murky black, have dimmed your sight,
But my candle glows enough to melt this darkest night."

While he searched the streets and called her name, she'd been rendered paralyzed;

"Please don't run!"

She feared his wrath, yet he would have wiped the tears from her eyes.

"The dawn will come!"

And though she didn't understand, and lost her gift to give,

"Our hopes burn brighter than the rising sun!"

The man who loved that harlot would have died to see her live.

"Now dance with me, my Bride! Drink my Bacchic wine and play!
And all my Muses sing along as we dance the darkest night away!
Now sing with me, my Bride! Get lost in blood and joyous tears:
Our manifest eternal bliss in the blessed music of the Spheres!"