A Man Named Pie

Pie’s shoes had holes,

     his toes stuck through,

     this ragamuffin man

     holding his musical pipe -

     tra la la la!

Garments were multi colored -

     he whirled his arms

     and boasted of charms

    and promised the mayor

    to get rid of the rats -

    rat-a-tat-tat

    and that was that.

Bubonic plague

     from diseased rodents

    festered and spored,

    was greatly abhorred.

Pie didn’t say much

     as he led all the rats

     out of town to the river

     where they splashed

     and drowned.

No one felt bad,

     no one was sad,

     in fact, they were glad

     but miserly mayor

     had not a prayer

     as he refused to pay

     the pied piper.

The piper got even

     as he led all the kids

     out of town

     never, ever

     to be seen again.

But rumor had it,

     he sold them

    to slavery,

    or led them all

    to drown in the river –

    save me, save me!

Or maybe, worst of all

     he was a pedophile

     with treacherous guile

     who kept the kids

     for his own use.

     But there’s no excuse

     for not paying this man

Imagine if you can

    that this is a true story -

     just look skyward at

     stained glass window -

     memorial to children

     while their spirits

     flow lofty and high

and Pie lives on.