ONE OF AESRED'S

He knew a few lines at least
From every song he ever heard.
When cats brought him souvenirs
From their night hunts he thanked them
Knowing they took offense at hearing
He'd no use for half a mouse.

ANOTHER AESRED POEM

I held out no hand;
You did not take it.
To the song I didn't sing
You offered no harmony.
On the path that wasn't there
I set no foot. How, then,
Have I found myself here?

SONGS

My father sang his children to sleep
But my mother thought her voice
Would breed bad dreams.
I wonder who told her this?
In a pleasant alto voice
She'd sing quietly, to herself,
When she didn't know I listened.
My father knew every lyric;
My mother made hers up as needed.

KNIGHT, DEATH, DEVIL

The Devil and Death have long concluded

There is no point in talking to the knight;

They think he may be deaf. Mostly,

They talk to each other on indifferent things.

Death thinks the Devil might like his sister

If he had one. When there are no watchers by

The Devil does complicated card tricks

Late at night, Death sometimes sings.