Monstrous shades in inky night
mingle with idea raw and bleeding
and suck the marrow from my bones.
Fearless I sit, and doze.
For the demon is kin and bedmate.
A succubus and a cripple sit epaulet
gainsaying lies in coarse whispers
and the devil brushes softly my face,
gruesome and terrible
and glassy gaze unmoved.
For more than demon red, jaws round my throat
more than dark visage that follows my steps
more than fiery death and rent flesh
and useless age and the end of stars
more than the lies of neant and all dead gods
it is her I fear.
So come monstrous shades in inky night