Ursus

Canto the Second
Song of a Barfly

‘Tis in a bar our tale is set
A wanderer had arrived
He’d just accepted barfly’s bet
Which he may not survive!

Our hero licked his upper lip
and eyed the proffered draught
“All right!” he said, “I’ll have a sip!”
The barflies cruelly laughed.

The peals of laughter peeled the paint
From off the bar room walls
And though our hero is no saint
At this, he was appalled.

For in his arrogance he’d thought
to beat them at their game.
But in the laughter he had got
the drift: They’re all insane!!

The barfly leader, once more, speaks
with smiling, guileless eyes
It is the smiling fangs of snakes
wherein the poison lies.

“Oh no, my friend! It has to be
the whole of it, or none!
But once you’ve drunk your fill, on me,
Your task is not yet done!”

And now the boy could see himself
as nothing but a sap!
He’d gambled with his very health
and fallen in a trap.

The barfly leader, in his look,
could see our wanderer’s fear.
So turning to the bar, he took
his glass and downed his beer.

“Another round!” he bellowed out
“And put it on my tab!!”
And pouring out the fill of stout
He pressed it on the lad.

“But know that this is just the first
You’ve two more tasks to do!
For once you’ve quenched that growing thirst
Two meetings await you.

The first you’ll meet is rather staid
and well equipped for slaughter!
The second is a comely maid
in fact, our landlord’s daughter!”

At this, the landlord’s watchful gaze
shot upwards to her picture.
Whilst outwardly he seemed unfazed ~
He smashed a crystal pitcher!!

The barfly leader heard the crash
And grabbed the landlord’s throat:
“Your counter needs a timely wash!”
The landlord just said…”Croak!”

But thinking in his secret mind:
‘I’ll fill ‘em and refill ‘em…
But e’er that boy can bed my child
Old George will surely kill him!’

The barfly loosened off his grasp
The landlord wiped the counter
The wanderer sighed a gentle gasp
alarmed at this encounter.

If you have read this ‘song of thirst’
without having reviewed,
I urge you, read Canto the First
before it is continued…