The Black Death

The Black Death It came without warning, it swept through the town One day you were up, the next day you’re down It came to the poor, it came to the rich You might feel the bite, you might feel the itch It might kill the whole family, it might spare one or two By the time you saw symptoms it was too late for you You might live for days or a few weeks instead You might feel good at breakfast and by dinner you’re dead It came from the East and moved on to the coast Then into the cities; the rats were the hosts They traveled the Silk Road with the vast caravans Their fleas were infected across Europe’s lands And once in the cities, the rats stayed to feed And the plague was soon spreading and spreading with speed The bodies soon littered each alley and street Till they carted them off like slabs of dead meat They buried some bodies in a communal pit Then burned their belongings to get rid of it And then it was over; not as quick as it came And the vast devastation had earned its sad name