HELL'S GATE

HELL’S GATE

In the humid back room of a bar in Rangoon

I at last met the man I’d been seeking.

Poured raw gin in his cup, (stopped his throat drying up)

He gulped some down and then started speaking.
 

“Son, don't be too surprised, for this tale is all lies,

But don't blame yourself ; I think you should go 

You must know; can’t you tell? There’s no gateway to Hell

It’s all newspaper talk…” I shouted “NO!”
 

I let go his shirt stud and he wheezed and coughed blood

Then rasped “You win, I’ll tell you what I‘ve done”.

I was strangely surprised by the look in his eyes

Seemed like a triumph, as if he had won .
 

When he started to talk my face turned white as chalk,

For I knew then I’d have to be brave

He'd gone into a mine that had closed since the time

Miners tunnelled into a large cave.
 

In the cave, set well back, was a door : massive : black :

All covered in skulls and strange runes

A jab with a pick nearly made them all sick

As the skulls belched out foul, greenish fumes.
 

The door was thrown back, with a sickening crack

As this daemon from Hell now appeared

He winced as he said,” All of my men had fled”

That thing was the nightmare he'd feared..
 

Huge, slimy and green with a translucent sheen,

It saw him through six yellow eyes

Five mouths and four lips showing yellowed fang tips

Each hand had claws monstrous in size
 

He threw spears at the beast,all blessed by a good priest

The third skewered the Daemon's green chest

It collapsed and he knew, it was dead, dead! It’s true!

He'd kept the skin, burned the rest.
 

“I’m a hunter, like you, but the best I can do

Is a tiger or leopard or lion

For a  daemon, old man, I'd give up my right hand!

Why, I’d give my soul if I could try one!”
 

“You’re not so damned clever-you’ve got it forever!”

The old man was dancing with joy.

“The first time a full moon, you will change, and that’s soon!

For tonight is the night, my brave boy.”
 

And so it has been, every full moon since then

Its skin wraps round me, head to feet.

I become the green daemon and stalk any human

To feed my great hunger for meat.
 

IF YOU GO OUT TONIGHT AND THE FULL MOON SHINES BRIGHT,

REMEMBER THIS TALE, FOR IT’S TRUE

BEHIND YOU THE SCRATCH OF A CLAW ON A BRANCH ?

IT’S THE DAEMON, AND HE’S HUNTING YOU !