A Little Night Music in Bruges-la-Morte / Court of Miracles

Here are two dark ghost & gothic poems of a medieval ghost city: Bruges (Flanders, Belgium) also known as Bruges-la-Morte. Featuring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart & A Little Night Music!

A Little Night Music

The clock ticks away the hour of

midnight & in a web

of white light a piano

is playing a little

night music:

Allegro!

But where is the pianist?

Look at the keys, they go up & down

as the Rondo dances through

the deserted street with

this Lord & his Lady

dressed only in

her jewellery.

And the clock ticks away the hour

of midnight & they jump

in the canal as they

always did &

always do

& forever

will.

Bruges-la-Morte

Only the dead are dancing

through the living

rooms

when the evening is falling

and the grey people

are put to rest

in peace

in their houses where shallow

shadows of lost centuries

are wandering - stoned

as a statue.

Who listens well, can hear

a voice behind a hatch

whispering about a past

tense not fully

completed.

The Court of Miracles

The Paris district got its name from the beggars who calculated on the compassion of the brave citizens: if you were lame or blind, you could make more money. But within the walls of this 'world in the world', all those lame men and women were suddenly walking again, and all the blind could see!

Be welcome, Sir, and sit down

in the Court of Miracles,

where the lame are walking and the blind can see

and nothing is what it seems.

Where chopped off chicken heads keep on cackling,

you can dance with me a fine duel

before we are all going

to hell.

Law is crooked, so come on: get hooked,

the wine is red

as your blood and we are all drinking to life

or death.

So please, Sir, come and play

with the Queen of Spades,

she'll plant a dagger between your shoulder blades

and we'll divide all of your money honestly,

so please come and play with me!

(Listen here to the Flemish Folk Song about the Court of Miracles.)