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The Crystal Ball
Y oung Loxen, walking down a road, At length he heard a noisy splash
beheld a crystal ball. of something up ahead.
An evil fortune it forebode Around the corner he did dash,
For Loxen in the Fall. and then his face turned red.
It showed him scenes from a strange place It was a blushing naked maid,
Where ravens held a feast, the cause of all the noise.
Where twenty maidens dressed in lace Young Loxen watched her as she played,
were servant to a beast. and then he lost his poise.
The winds blew cold from a black sea, Into the foaming pool he dove,
in which f01l1 serpents dwell. although he could not swim.
And Loxen. watched the devilry The maiden swam into a cove,
and said, "this must be hell." and gave a wink at him.
The trees, which grew sickly and bent, At once the water turned to wine,
were homes for slimy things. for Loxen, drink or sink.
All of their leaves were cruelly rent, Much later he was feeling fine,
as were the Robin's wings. his nose was rosy pink.
Their terrors he could bear no more, He took the maiden in a dell,
young Loxen upped and fled. his nose did brightly glow.
He chewed an apple through the core, Said Loxen, "I may go to hell,
and choked upon his bread. but what a way to go!"
One day when leaves were red and gold There at his private Shangri-La
and other Autumn hues, he lived a life of sin.
When days had become short and cold, But best was his utopia
OUrLoxen took a cruise. when all the wine turned gin.
Alone he rowed upon a stream And when he died he went to hell,
in his quaint rowing boat. but it was not so bad.
And everything to him did seem He found that hell was in his dell-
to match his brand new coat. still maid and drink he had!
-E.C.
