A Leper to Lepers

The chains embedded in my flesh

They creak and drag upon the skin

My limbs have not been my own for so long

Mine are not the words I sing

And though I am Fenrir, you are the chain

And though I am Prometheus, I plead in vain

The gods would keep me no longer

A leper to lepers!

The world grows suddenly still

Who will be the first to draw?

Spit at my vanity

I contain more than you'll ever know

And though I am Judas, you are my field

And though I am Typhon, I'm struck by your will

The gods would keep me no longer

A leper to lepers!

I know the worth of my vanity

I know the worth of my enmity

I know you fear me

A leper to lepers!

Leper to lepers to lepers to lepers to lepers

Explanation of cover -

In ancient times, lepers were typically marked by different items beyond their distinctive appearance. One I could not convey was a type of tunic that would hide their torso and put an extra layer between them and you. But in the picture there are three others-

A rattler (left) and a bell (right) were used to inform people a leper is passing by. These were some of the earliest means of avoiding communicable disease.

a mask - many lepers chose to wear a mask to hide their disfigurement. While traditionally they wore a leather or cloth mask, the richer the leper the fancier the mask would be.

The Hebrew word is for leper. Interestingly the etymology in Hebrew for leper is “he in whom evil is found” or he who is struck by evil".”