The Devil called on me today
In his usual uninhibited way
He took a bucket of cyclonic rain
And crashed it against my window pane
He pelted my roof for over an hour
With raindrops so big and so full of power
At one time I thought the roof would leak
And I finally gave up trying to sleep
I wondered what had upset him so
And what he wanted me to know
At first I could not understand
As he raged and loudly beat his hands
He made the thunder shake my walls
The Devil’s annoyed, and he’s got *****

So I waited for him to speak
To tell me what caused his fit of pique
I sat in my room quiet and still
Then went to the window and leaned on the sill
I watched as he viciously vented his spleen
Using thunder, and lightning to light up the scene
His stage was set and all was in place
He wants to meet me face to face
That’s okay by me I have nothing to fear
I went to the bedroom and put on my gear
Shorts and a T-shirt without any shoes
I was dressed in black, no colourful hues
As I stepped through the door and onto the street
The Devil’s tears were washing my feet

I wondered where he’d set centre stage
And started to walk in the midst of his rage
It wasn’t long before I was soaked
The cigarettes in my pocket could not now be smoked
I took the path that led through the trees
Then down to the pool I walked with ease
Out through the wall and into the night
And all of a sudden, the place was just right
There’s a cemetery here from long ago
This is the place he wants me to go
He appeared in my brain dressed all in red
The horns shone slickly at the side of his head
He gave no greeting, had a face full of hate
A Devil’s showdown is part of my fate

He told me ‘Take a look around
See all these stones in the ground
There’s no one left here for you to see
I’ve got them all, they’re now with me’
I took a look through the pelting rain
At an epitaph below a forgotten name
A long time ago it was carved with care
But the Devil has dragged it into his lair
Another lost soul for him to claim
He looks on us all as being the same
I looked at him then, straight in his eye
And asked him what had made him cry
What caused this overpowering rage
That lead us to this center stage?

He replied ‘I was there two nights ago
But I couldn’t get past the Angel’s glow
It flowed around her and was far too deep
She was one I could not keep
I even gave Gabriel a hefty shove
As I tried to break through all that love
I never even touched her hand
Could not get by that heavenly band
I tried in every way I could
But this one woman was far too good’

I smiled then at the reality
That this meeting was not about him and me
Standing in that cemetery no shoes on my feet
I realised the Devil is easy to beat
So I said to him ‘You can rant and rave
We’re safe from you inside our graves
We only need to do what’s right
Show love and compassion, be a guiding light
To those around us that we love and adore
Then, in your face Mr. Devil, we can slam the door’

The storm raged on as I turned away
I’ll live to fight the Devil another day
I made my way back still soaked to the skin
My feet were all wrinkled they looked pretty grim
Tossed off my clothes, got under the shower
Scrubbed myself for half an hour
Returned some heat to my body’s core
And laughed at the reasons why the Devil got sore
Feeling exhausted I went to bed
On the cool of the pillow I laid my head
My thoughts flew to home and you people there
Your anguish and grief and deep despair
I cannot tell you what I’ve seen and heard
You’d probably think it’s too absurd
I’ve laid the demons and quelled the beast
I can tell you that Martha will rest in peace.
By the way, before I went to sleep
I asked the Lord your souls to keep