This Affair Will Be the Death of Us All

The gracious palm extended by our host Makes light the anxious air inside the hall Regretfully he dare not leave his post Or else to chance abandon he the ball The streamers tickle tops of drinks in toast To health and happy tidings on and all Tonight we dance ’til give we up the ghost And mark we morning by the rooster’s call But lo, our gracious host is absent nigh And slowly dies the music feeding dance As dim the candle flames about us grow We see the celebration is a lie And curse the name of horrid happenstance That takes us with the dying candle’s glow