the Jester

hey, I’m the jester
this whole life’s a joke
hey, I’m the jester
and I don’t get the joke
and I see the people laughing
with gleaming hollow eyes
and I see the angels’ teardrops
at the sight of what’s inside
of the crying souls of solstice past
as night comes creeping on
and you know it only gets darker
before the coming dawn
but the eyes of man they cannot see
the darkness coming on
for they think the campfire beacon’s
the light of the coming dawn
but the wood, you see, to feed that fire has all been fed
and the demons started tossing in whitewashed souls instead
‘til the flames climbed higher
licking up with dark black oiled smoke
‘til the angel choir
was choked out of singing a single note
and the world of man has their own sun
and their own sky of dark
and the flames climb higher
always licking away at my heart
I’m the fool
listen as I dance
hear my jesting it is majesty only just removed
and lay your Fate before me, you weary traveling band
and I’ll spin a new one for you as the muses guide my hand
for the royal fools and the dreamitê
have thus declared to me
they’re rescinding all the restrictions on possibility
and they can’t see where it’s going
anywhere’s a chance
if you follow me
self-made royalty
in this endless dance
but in the end the black smoke clears
and the joke’s on me again
for the dreamers have their dreams
and the rest are back asleep
but the jesting fool his own company will keep
for the road is long and the way
has many twists and turns
and winds through life and back again
from where it used to be
so it seems sometimes that only
a fool could follow me
on the pathway of the shackled mind’s grasp at liberty
but the jester’s not required
to believe in his own joke
must the greatest epic told be true
to have brought you hope?
the road is calling softly now
away before mist
melts in the sun newly risen
out of the darkness
the road leads ever west
and so the jester’s steps