The Pale Sarpint...

In his notes, the unknown poet of the Third Galaxy writes that he got the unusual spelling of "Sarpint" from a line in an old folk song, "The deadly, pizen sarpint..."

The smell of burning wormwood fills the night,
a disgusting fragrance that could only delight
the Pale Sarpint, who is always ready to bite...

The venom in its teeth is so deadly, that sight
alone is enough to kill -- if seen in the light!

But light is rare in the kingdoms-of-the-night:
Hordes of red-eyed creatures file by
the Onyx Throne, under the Sarpint's eye...

Until the moment comes, when the Sarpint bites,
they continue to exist and, in a sense, they survive.

But what is life, and what is it to die
when you're only waiting for your chance to die?

(The Sarpint rises suddenly to bite
and the smell of wormwood permeates the night!)