Redemption

The bewitching hour of the night The streets mysterious without lights The moon hid his face The goblins out to conquer the human race The black clouds came rushing forth And all those folk from their warm hearth Came out attracted by the hum The time for goblin market had come Bright red and green vials Black and gold watches with satanic dials Thick lacquered boxes filled with lust For good fortune buying it was a must From the holy city of Byzantine they say The wanton maiden said, if I may Touched the multicoloured scarf of softest velvet And picked up the vial of ominous jet As she tasted the forbidden juice From the sky with hopelessness looked on the muse The maiden became crazed, her eyes so blue It was her fall though she was true The goblins merrily laughed And up and down the pavement they pranced The tender soul was tormented in hell The vale overflowed with deadly smell A little child came to her rescue And the rain started as if on cue He had a face of a lamb To wash away sins and apply balm He gently lifted her withering form Through the heavy rain and black storm He touched those lips so red Hell receded, the night was dead by- Tahera Mannan Inspired by the poem,'Goblin Market' by Christina Rosetti