Terry O'Leary

The warden's bewildered, the watchman's amazed
For the gate's standing open, a hole in the haze.
The steps are uncertain, the nighttime is crazed
And the stars burn above us like pinwheels ablaze.
But lanterns hang vacant in streets standing blind.
Though the path is a riddle, there's no need to guess... I'll not leave you behind

The lepers are leaping from tombstones of steel
Chasing rollaway caskets with luminous wheels;
The shadows are frozen, their echoes confined,
Twisted time melts at midnight - Take hold of my hand... I'll not leave you behind

The ponies of plunder are riding on high
As their castaway riders cast stones from the sky.
They're mocking the magpies, who pay it no mind,
But the broncos are bolting - Just cling to my cape... I'll not leave you behind

The bandits are hiding, the leprechaun's lurk
While imbibing dark brews of a hag's handiwork.
They're gulping from goblets that goblins designed
With a gust of the wind - Woman! Throw your wings wide... I'll not leave you behind

The orphans and widows are bent in the breeze
While a horrified hangman nods, passing decrees.
For engines of mercy have come to a grind
And they're judging the juries - Just fade neath the night... I'll not leave you behind

The tattered toy teddies and raggedy Anns
Have escaped to the highways of kid caravans.
They're chasing their shadows, know not what they'll find
In parades fast departing - So drift with your dreams... I'll not leave you behind

The circles are swirling, they flash from the crown
From the rainbows of summer, the circus in town.
The compass wheel's spinning, the minutes unwind
And the road is a cyclone - So grab what you need... I'll not leave you behind

The gremlins are groping, they know that they must
For the sprites and the pixies no longer have trust.
They're slinging their arrows at shades undefined
But the wind is unsettled - So flee from your fears... I'll not leave you behind

The cannons are calling, the piccolos shriek
And the druids are drumming while pale pagans speak.
They're urging me forward, my senses they've mined,
And their march is erupting - Just follow my heels... I'll not leave you behind

In vampire steeples, cathedral clocks tick
Like the droplets of wax neath a pale candle's wick.
Within the night's terrors its flame is enshrined
But the glim is fast fading - So scatter your cares... I'll not leave you behind

The looking glass glistens, the firefly glows
And the fairies are dancing on tiny tip toes.
The midnight's collapsing, which serves to remind
That your ghosts will not follow - So bid your farewells... I'll not leave you behind

The wind is a woman, she burns like a brand
And conceals crazy secrets caught carved in the sand.
She whispers her mysteries but leaves them unsigned
For the wind is Isolde - I'm raising my sails... I'll not leave you behind