The day the Pattern died

Ronnie Order
The day the Pattern died

A long, long time ago,
I can still remember how Shadow used to make me smile.
And I knew stealing my relative's things
Would pause a lot of suffering
So maybe I'd be happy for a while.

But my uncle's Trump call made me shiver.
As would the blow that he'd deliver.
It caused me major chest pains.
I still can't get out the blood stains.

And I can't remember if I cried,
As my blood flowed from me, with my pride.
That dagger touched me deep inside
The day the Pattern died.

So
{Refrain}
Bye-bye to the Great Serpent's Eye.
My blood flowed on the Pattern and the Pattern was fried.
I watched as the Unicorn wailed and cried.
And I yelled, 'This'll be the day that you die!'
'This'll be the day that you die.'

Well, have you walked the Pattern's form?
And do you believe in the Unicorn,
If Trump Scrying tells you so?
Or, has the Logrus rent your mind apart?
And can you change the location of your heart?
And can you teach me how to draw Trump art?

Well, I know you're working for the Courts,
'Cause I saw you handing in reports.
You even told them where I live!
Man, "never trust a relative!"

I was half-insane when I stole the Jewel.
But you really played me for a fool.
And I was probably just the Serpent's tool
The day the Pattern died.

I started singin'
{Refrain}

Now for 200 years we've been on our own,
And the Pattern's still broken there, on that stone.
But that's not how it used to be...
When we coronated the king and queen,
And my assembled family all turned green,
As they cast side-long glances at you and me.

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
Corwin donned his silver crown.
Eric, then, was spurned,
And so Corwin's eyes were burned!
And while Caine improved his crossbow-mark,
Corwin fumbled in the dark.
And his Blood Curse turned Garnath black and stark
The day the Pattern died.

We were singing
{Refrain}

Scheming, demons, from the Black Road, came streaming.
Sending many Shadow maidens screaming
To their deaths in fairy rings...
And of this, the bard still sings:
Of how Oberon pulled Corwin's puppet strings,
And of how Corwin and Ganelon altered things.

Now the Black Road had caused quite a fuss,
And the Chaosites were attacking us.
We all marched off to war,
Oh, but their Chaos steeds could soar!
So, the marksmen shot 'til their bolts were gone,
But the Chaosites' resolve was strong,
Until Corwin raised up guns from Avalon!
The day the Pattern died.

He started singing
{Refrain}

Oh, and there we were all at the Abyss,
When Caine took aim and did not miss.
Brand had no time to flee and start again...
But come on, Brand was mad, and Brand was dour,
Brand even bathed in the Font of Power!
'Cause Power always was Brand's only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the ledge,
I hoped he'd fall over the edge.
But Brand just played it cool.
No one could get the Jewel.
And before Caine shot his big surprise,
There was a whole new world in Brand's eyes.
And I saw Brand laugh at the thought of our demise,
The day the Pattern died.

He was singing
{Refrain}

I met a girl with Blood like mine,
And I asked her if she'd walked the Grand Design,
But she just smiled and Trumped away.
I went to the Golden Circle to see what remained,
And found that the Shadows had gone insane.
The Shadow people said their lands were going to decay.

And those Shadows were like bad dreams,
Where the people died, and worlds ripped at the seams.
And from these Shadows I gained not a token,
The Patterns all were Broken...
And only my relatives that now are gone:
The Unicorn, Dworkin, and Oberon,
Truly know just what went on
The day the Pattern died.

And they were singing
{Refrain}

They were singing bye-bye to the Great Serpent's Eye.
My blood flowed on the Pattern and the Pattern was fried.
I watched as the Unicorn wailed and cried.
And I yelled, 'This'll be the day that you die!'
'This'll be the day that you die.'

rorder@umich.edu