NO REST

My cousin’s name is Lazarus
We shared the family tomb
I guess he must have passed away
‘Cause I woke to find him in my room

I heard the voice that called him out
The Master he adored
And though I too awakened
The summons left me there and floored

My life was cold and loveless
And it killed me years ago
So I was not surprised to find
That Laz was raised, and I, well, no

I drifted back to endless rest
In a place that brooked no pain
Until, again, a voice broke through
And this time, lo, it called my name

But the voice was not the Master’s
Who had beckoned Laz come out
The tone and timber weren’t the same
And my sense of horror left no doubt

The voice I heard was female
And its softness made me quake
I think I soiled my grave clothes
When it firmly beckoned me awake

Of all the earthly terrors
That might call me from my sleep
This siren’s song unnerved me most
As it urged me leave my cold dark keep

I’m cowering in the corner now
Knee deep in dust and bone
And praying that the huntress there
Has not the strength to roll the stone

For if the light should enter
And if I saw her face
I fear that I, like cousin Laz
Would rise and lumber from this place

They say Hell hath no fury
Like a woman once denied
But when she calls you from the grave
There’s simply no place left to hide

So eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow you may die
But may the Lord have mercy
Should a woman cast her searching eye

For there is no rest in this life
And the Jordan’s deep and wide
So until the lady lets you go
I guess your visa’s been denied