Home » Poems » Keith Bickerstaffe » Good and Evil

Good and Evil

...adapted from 'Mr Pye' by Mervyn Peake


Balding and sprightly, he's filled with bold dreams
to make us all happy and free,
he selects as his target a small Channel Island,
a representative sampling of people just like you and me.
All he wants is that folks get along
without all those disputes and fights,
he tries to bring peace to this sheltered enclave,
just by doing good deeds he can sleep nights.

He practises witchcraft to bring them together,
'if it works' are his words for the day.
A sense of humour is paramount these days
to keep those nay-sayers at bay.
In the midst of these noble endeavours
he feels discomfort that turns out
to be wings that are sprouting quite clearly,
a cause for concern there's no doubt.

It seems that his kindness has made him an angel, 
the more good deeds, the bigger they grow
'til they're actually poking right out of his shirt,
my goodness, they're starting to show!
So he counters with bad deeds in hopes that they'll shrink,
indiscretions and plain bald-faced lies.
Sure enough they diminish, in fact they're all gone,
he need not prepare a disguise.

But this scheme that he's started gets odder,
there's a growth on his temples, two horns;
he's been so busy negating the good that he's done
he's turned Devil, my goodness! he's torn
between Good and Evil, just what should he do?
he's conflicted, and lies in disgrace;
he sits down to ponder which way he should turn,
it's as clear as the nose on his face!

On the horns of a moral dilemma,
he simply gives in to pure Good;
he embraces his folk, he just loves them to death,
'til his wings are full-sprouted he'll
take to the air and keep flying
as far as infinity goes,
so he bids his people a tearful farewell,
next stop the cosmos, who knows?

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