The Masquerader and Phoenix

[Poem by Raymond, Music by Theatre of Tragedy]

Hist! - The sonorous orchestral ambience and the arabesque-stanc'd ballerina,

Her wee feel in an alacritic maelstrom-twirl,

And the dust-hurl with her tears blendeth - Egad! this quagmire;

Pasteth her unaptly apt feet to the stage;

Like the wither'd rose of the luciferous Eden

By the mummer'd masquerader espied vigilly and mockingly,

His behesting visage, tho' ruddily mummmer'd 'tis -

Embower'd and eddying oft and eft gloam by gloam,

Her sweetness ne'er cloy - further! further! -

His scratching and dallying hollow-heartéd eyes

Her breasts and vestal heart caress,

And like the dove and bird of prey leapeth she aerily,

Whileas the orchestra playeth on travailingly;

His one and sole swath

With the pizzicato'd ensemble blendeth -

And her umbral foetal scream -

As the song climaxeth

And slowly dieth

Away...