THE DEVILS MATCH

AS CLOCKS STRUCK 12 AROUND ME
UPON THAT SCHEDULED NIGHT
THOUGH DARKNESS FILLED MY VISION
THERE FLEW A FRIGHTFUL SIGHT


A JET BLACK COACH WITH HORSES
APPEARED THROUGH FOGGY FELL
AND SPED TOWARD MY LODGINGS
WITH WRETCHED SOUNDS OF HELL


THE COACHMAN WHIPPED THEM SOUNDLY
STRAIGHT OUT OF DANTE'S STABLE
SIX STALLIONS GALLOPED BLINDLY
THOSE BEASTS AS BLACK AS SABLE


AND THEN THEY WERE UPON ME
THOSE SCREAMING STEEDS NO MORE
A TERRIFYING VISION
CAME KNOCKING AT MY DOOR


HE WAS AT ONCE FAMILIAR
AS I WILLED MY HEART TO SLOW
IN STEPPED AN APPARITION
FROM 40 YEARS AGO


IN HIS HAND A CONTRACT
WITH A COLD DEMONIC GRIN
HIS FLESH AS GREY AS GRANITE
A HEART REPLETE WITH SIN


"IVE COME TO FIX OUR BARGAIN"
SAID HE WITH HATEFUL GLEE
THEN POINTED BONY FINGER
"YOU'RE COMING BACK WITH ME"


HIS VOICE WAS LOW AND COURSE
THE WORDS WERE CURT AND CHARMLESS
BUT WHAT DID I EXPECT
THIS WAS THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS


"I HOPE YOU'VE SPENT TIME WISELY"
HE SAID TO ME NOT CARING
"AND ENJOYED YOUR LIFE OF EXCESS"
I SHOOK MY HEAD JUST STARING


I HAD LACKED THE INCLINATION
TO USE THE POWERS THAT HE LOANED
AND HAD SPENT THE TIME REGRETTING
THAT MY SOUL WAS FORMER OWNED


BUT I HAD TO KEEP A PROMISE
FIND SOME COURAGE WAY DOWN DEEP
FOR A DEAL I MADE THE NIGHT BEFORE
AND A CHANCE MY SOUL TO KEEP


SO I MOVED AROUND MY TABLE
AND INVITED HIM TO SIT
WITH SHAKING VOICE, I STAMMERED
"I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WRIT"


AND ALMOST WITHOUT MOVING
HE CREPT TOWARDS MY CHAIR
AS EARIE AS WAS SILENT
WITH VENGEFUL ANGRY STARE


HE DROPPED THE HEAVY PAPERS
BUT THEY NEVER MADE A SOUND
I SKIMMED THE LEGAL CONTRACT
TILL I HAD THE SECTION FOUND


'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR?"
HE GROWLED WITH TEETH NOW GRINDING
"MY ADVOCATE HAS DRAWN IT UP,
CAST IRON, ETERNAL, BINDING"


I POINTED TO THE SECTION
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION
WITH HOPE TO QUELL HIS RAGE


HE DREW A CHAIR TOWARDS HIM
AND SAT ACROSS THE TABLE
I THOUGHT I SAW HIM FORM A SMILE
AS WELL AS HE WAS ABLE


"I'D LIKE TO USE THIS CLAUSE' I SAID
"IN THE HOPE TO STAY ALIVE,
ITS THE VERY LAST THATS WRITTEN DOWN,
PROVISION 665"


THE SUSPICION OF THAT SMILE I'D SEEN
BROKE INTO HOWLING LAUGH
AS HE CLEARLY HAD BEEN BRIEFED THAT DAY
BY DECOMPOSING LEGAL STAFF


TO FILL YOU IN ON WHAT IT SAID
IN THIS PECULIAR LEGAL CASE
IT WAS A CLAUSE TO STAY ON EARTH
IF SOMEONE TOOK MY PLACE


"WELL WELL" HE CHIMED "IM SO IMPRESSED'
I ASKED "CAN THEY BE FEMALE?"
HE RAISED HIS BROW AND COOLY SAID
"THE DEVILS IN THE DETAIL'


OLD NICK THEN ROSE AND QUESTIONED ME
"YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?"
BLUE EYES SHONE THROUGH, REDUCED ME TO
A COWARDS JUDAS KISS


"YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU GIVE HER HAND,
TO ME FOREVER MORE
YOU MAY GO FREE, BUT IN THE END YOU'LL BE
HAUNTED TO YOUR CORE"


"FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, TO TRICK SOMEONE
FOR WHAT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING,
BUT A DEALS A DEAL, HER FATE IS SEALED"
THEN I STOPPED HIM FROM HIS BRAYING


"JUST ONE MORE THING, I NEED TO KNOW'
I SAID THEN ADDING "PLEASE"
"YOUR LAWYER SAID YOU COULD'NT LIE,
IS THAT TRUE, MEPHISTOPHELES?"


"I DON'T WANT TO BE IMPERTINENT"
I SAID A BIT TOO DRYLY
"BUT I REALLY NEED TO KNOW THIS NOW"
AND SMILED A LITTLE WRYLY


HE PUFFED HIS CHEST AND ROARED TO ME
"TIS TRUE I CANNOT LIE,
AS MUCH AS I AM DYING TO"
AND I THOUGHT THAT HE MAY CRY


HE POINTED AT THE TABLE, CLAIMED,
"THAT BE SATANIC SCROLL,
IF I LIE TO YOU ITS NULL AND VOID,
AND IGNITE ON FIERY COAL


THEN HE STRODE TOWARDS THE FIRE
AND GESTURED, BRING HER IN
SO CONTENTED NOW, WITH HIS GREAT PLAN
HE THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD WIN


UNKNOWN TO ALL CONCERNED HEREIN
APART FROM THOSE FROM HELL
HE'D NEGLECTED TO DIVULGE THE FACTS
AND KEPT THIS HIDDEN WELL


ALTHOUGH THAT MONSTER HAD'NT LIED
HE'D STILL PULLED QUITE A TRICK
ASWELL AS PROVISION 665
THERE WAS ALSO 666


HE DID'NT THINK IT MET CONDITIONS
OF THE MYSTIC SPELL TO BRAKE
MERELY FAILED TO POINT IT OUT TO ME
OR OF ITS EXISTENCE SPAKE


THAT TEXT WAS WRIT IN SMALLER FONT
BELOW THE OTHER FARE
BUT AS HE POINTED OUT TO ALL CONCERNED
ITS MARKED 'BUYER BEWARE'


IT STATED HENCE, FOR COMPLIANCE
IF 665 WAS CHOSEN
AND THE OTHER PARTY DID'NT KNOW
THE TERMS FOR WHICH THEY'D SPOKEN


IF TOLD THE LIE, THEY WERE STANDING BY
FOR A FORTY YEAR SUCCESS
AND THAT SWITCHING PLACE, WITH THE FORMER CASE
WOULD'NT SELL THEIR SOULS FOR LESS


IF FOUL PLAY LEARNED, THOSE IMP'S CONCERNED
COULD LEGAL SWEAR ON OATH
THEN RIGHTLY SO, HE'D STOP THE SHOW
AND THEN WOULD OWN THEM BOTH


SO THE DEVIL DANCED AS I TOOK MY CHANCE
AND BROUGHT THE WOMAN THROUGH
WHO WAS OLD AND GREY, IN HER AUTUMN DAYS
BUT HAD STRENGTH I NEVER KNEW


THE DEVIL SMILED AND BARED HIS TEETH
HIS EXCITEMENT UN-CONTAINED
HE BECAME SO VERY COURTEOUS
AND INTRODUCED HIS NAME


"THEY CALL ME MR BUB" HE SANG
LIKE A SEASONED BROADWAY PRO
THEN HE SLAPPED HIS KNEE, "CALL ME B L Z,
AND WELCOME TO THE SHOW"


"COME HERE MY DEAR, IT'S YOUR LUCKY DAY
HAVE YOU HAD SIGHT OF T'S & C'S?"
HE MADE SARCASTIC LAUGH, THEN CUT A PATH
AS HE WINKED AT MY UNEASE


SO HE BROUGHT HER TO THE TABLE
AND WITH BLOOD INKED DEVILS QUILL
INVITED HER TO SIGN THE DEAL
TO COMPLETE HIS DREADFUL SHILL


BUT SIGN THE DEAL SHE DID'NT
AND WITH FIRM AND STEELY GAZE
SHE FIXED OLD NICK WITH HER WALKING STICK
AND GAVE HIM HER APPRAISE


"ID LIKE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES HERE"
SHE SAID WITH LAWYERS TACT
"IM NOT SURE WHAT YOU THINK YOU HAVE
BUT IM CHANGING THIS CONTRACT"


THE DEVIL BLINKED AND EYES TURNED BLACK
FROM THEIR PREVIOUS STATE OF BLUE
UNDETERRED THE WOMAN STARED
AND CONTINUED RIGHT ON CUE


"IM AWARE OF ALL THESE TERMS YOU HAVE
WHICH YOU HAVE NOW LAID BARE"
WITH THE DEVIL MUTE, SHE WAS RESOLUTE
AND CONTINUED WITH HER SNARE"


"I WILL GO WITH YOU NOW FREELY"
AND BEFORE HER HEART LAST BEATED
SAID "I KNEW THE DEAL BEFORE I CAME,
AND I HAVE NOT BEEN CHEATED"


THAT DEMON SCREECHED WITH A PIERCING CRY
"DO YOU REALISE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?"
SHE SMILED RIGHT BACK AND NODDED TWICE
"I DO, THAT MANS MY SON"


"I WOULD TAKE HIS PLACE TO HELL AND BACK"
AND SHE TORE OUT WHERE I'D SIGNED
THEN SHE THREW HIS CONTRACT ON THE FIRE
BACK TO HELL IT WAS CONSIGNED


AS THE DEVIL SCREAMED AND CURSED US BOTH
MY MOTHER TURNED TO ME
KISSED MY CHEEK, SAID WITH FINAL BREATH
"I LOVE YOU, NOW YOUR FREE"


AS I CRIED FOR HER MY HEART WAS FILLED
THEN THE CHAINS AROUND ME FELL
AND I KNEW THAT SHE WAS HAPPY NOW
SHE HAD SAVED MY SOUL FROM HELL


YOU SEE THERE WAS A CO-DECIL,
WRITTEN THROUGH THAT DEVILS PACT
IN EVENT OF LOVING SACRIFICE.
THE DEAL COULD NOT BE BACKED


FOR SUCH AN ACT OF SELFLESS LOVE,
AS PURE AS SNOW IS DRIVEN
CAN NEVER CROSS THE GATES OF HELL
IT DESERVES TO BE IN HEAVEN