The Knittist

1.

I saw God the other night,
as I was dreaming by firelight.
An old, old lady sitting there,
knitting in a rocking chair,
the wool around her fingers curled,
for she was knitting all the world.
There came a scratching down the hall;
it was the Devil come to call.
So she got up and let him in,
a cat as big and dark as sin.
She said, 'You look the worse for wear.'
He said, 'You know, you got me there,
for you must know that I must go
over the earth both to and fro
and walking up and down on it.
I got no time to stay and sit.'
She went for food; when she went out,
the cat got up and danced about
and said, 'It's time to have some fun,'
and he unraveled all she'd done
and then he took the woolen ball,
and batted it from wall to wall.
She brought back some milk and bread,
he ate it up, and then he said,
'And now I have to move along,
to do my work and sing my song.'
She opened the door and he went out
into the night of dark and doubt.
The lady sat back down and then
she said as she started to knit again,
'Till fire shall freeze and ice shall burn
that poor old cat will never learn.'

2.

(— Modified and decorated for a performance. The refrain is to be sung; given its allusion to 'A Lyke-Wake Dirge', I'd suggest something medievally modal accompanied by lyre, guitar or 5-string banjo. The wailing of a violin, saxophone, or blues harp might not be amiss. The narrative part is to be spoken, chanted, rapped. Light rhythm backup may be supplied throughout with foot, slapping of instrument, or tambourine.)

    The Devil is never far away,
    he comes to visit every day.
    By fire and flood and candle-light,
    he comes to visit every night.

I saw God the other night,
as I was dreaming by firelight.
An old, old lady sitting there,
knitting in a rocking chair.
the wool around her fingers curled,
for she was knitting all the world.
There came a scratching down the hall;
it was the Devil come to call.

    The Devil is never far away,
    he comes to visit every day.
    By fire and flood and candle-light,
    he comes to visit every night.

So she got up and let him in,
a cat as big and dark as sin.
She said, 'You look the worse for wear.'
He said, 'You know, you got me there,
for you must know that I must go
over the earth both to and fro
and walking up and down on it.
I got no time to stay and sit.'

    The Devil is never far away,
    he comes to visit every day.
    By fire and flood and candle-light,
    he comes to visit every night.

She went for food; when she went out,
the cat got up and danced about
and said, 'It's time to have some fun,'
and he unraveled all she'd done.
And then he took the woolen ball,
and batted it from wall to wall.
She brought back some milk and bread,
he ate it up, and then he said,

    The Devil is never far away,
    he comes to visit every day.
    By fire and flood and candle-light,
    he comes to visit every night.

'And now I have to move along,
to do my work and sing my song.'
She opened the door and he went out
into the night of dark and doubt.
The lady sat back down and then
she said as she started to knit again,
'Till fire shall freeze and ice shall burn
that poor old cat will never learn.'

    The Devil is never far away,
    he comes to visit every day.
    By fire and flood and candle-light,
    he comes to visit every night.