The Landlord

I met the landlord, I kept my soul And in of a man he was ashen and coal Spoke quick, confusing, burdened me up Left me for hollow when he'd had his sup I bore all his load til the day that we met And one glimpse of you bent the load from my fret To my frown, to my stern, and then rocking me by And a game and a cheer, on the earth, in the sky So said I to the landlord "I'll not see thee here" And I'll wait for his answer Til the load wasn't there and it never had been And all was before was so distant a dream Til I saw in my friend what had once been my foe And the terrible landlord had all in his tow In his wake and the call of his burning black ship And the wind it was blown from his proud blackened lips And I with my bellows cast clouds through the sky So that his awful flames, they might moisten and die And then I with a light shone on that which was there As in light I did nothing, as in days I did fare And so days in my ears and days all around Proving death to the landlord and all he abounds And the night she shone, too, until all that was now Had been hoisted for viewing in all of the crowd I was glad in the light that crept twixt new and old And then polished with all, and so tender so bold So said I to the landlord "I'll not see thee here" And I'll wait for his answer So meek in that moment, thee in error til all Of my friends and their friends saw in joy their loads fall They fell in they fell out, they fell near they fell far They gave all in a shout and put all to the stars Lifting them as one load, such a burdensome thing Troubling nothing that lives now, no and nothing it seems Nothing that dances, nothing that's moved In the old spinning circle of all that we proved So said I to the landlord "I'll not see thee here" And I'll wait for his answer So said I to the landlord "I'll not see thee here" And I'll wait for his answer Though I wake in fear --- The Landlord - Johnny Flynn