Epistle to Derroll

Come all ye starry starfish

living in the deep blue sea

crawl to me i have proposition to make thee

would you walk the north sea floor

to Belgium from England

Bring me word of a banjo man

With a tattoo on his hand.

The spokesman of the starfish

spoke as spokesman should

"If'n you met our fee then

certainly we would,

If you cast a looking-glass

upon the scallopped sand

You'll have word o' this banjo man

with a tattoo on his hand."

"Come ye starry starfish

I know your ways are caped

maybe its because your astrologically shaped,

Converse with the herring shoals

as I know you can

Bring me word o' the banjo man

with a tattoo on his hand."

The eldest of the starfish

spoke, after a sigh,

"Youthfull as you are young man

you have a 'Wisdom Eye';

Surely you must know a looking-glass

is made from sand?

These youngfish are fooling you

about this banjo man."

"Come then aged starfish

Riddle me no more,

for news I am weary

and my heart is sore;

All on the silent seashore,

help me if you can,

Tell to me if you know

of this banjo man."

"All through the seven oceans

I am a star, most famed,

Many 'leggys' have I lost

and many have I gained,

Strange to say quite recently

I've been to Fleming Land

And if you are courteous

I'll tell you all I can."

"You have my full attention"

I answered him with glee,

His brother stars were twinkling

in the sky above the sea

So I sat there with rapt

attention, on the sand,

very anxious for to hear

of the banjo man.

"I have seen this tattooed hand

through a ship port-hole,

Steaming on the watery main

through the waves so cold,

Heard his tinkling banjo and

his voice so grand

but you must come to Belgium

to shake his tattooed hand."

"Gladly would I come oh

gladly would I go,

Had I not my work to do

and my face to show,

I rejoice to know he's well

but I must go inland,

thank you for the words you brought

of the banjo man."

I walked along the evening sand

as charcoal clouds did shift

revealing the moon shining

on the pebble drift

Contemplating every other word

the starfish said

whistly winds they filled my dreams

in my dreaming bed.