I Told The Devil Goodbye Poem by James McLain

I met her where her shadow leaned,
Beneath the cold and hollow sky,
Her voice was soft, her eyes unseen—
Yet still, I told the devil, yes goodbye.

She traced her hand along my wrist,
Her touch like ash, her breath warm mist,
She whispered, "Stay, you won't be missed, "
But I refused to pay the cost.

She promised love, she promised light,
A kingdom built on velvet lies,
Yet I have danced in darker nights
And seen the ruin in her green eyes.

So when she called, I turned away,
I would not beg, I would not cry—
Let others kneel, let others stay,
But I have told the devil, yes goodbye.