SAINT VITUS

we're dancing with saint vitus
venerated christian saint
and his is not a story
for a soul whose heart is faint

one of fourteen holy helpers
of the roman catholic church
has a dance move, neurological
in which you twitch and lurch

he's the patron saint of dancers
plus comedians and such
and keeps you safe from lightning
so the lethal bolts won't touch

he's depicted in a cauldron
with a lion close beside
has a raven and a palm leaf
that he clutches tight with pride

he died of persecution
back when he was just thirteen
by an evil roman emperor
who was known for being mean

so he scored his own cathedral
in the little town of prague
where priests evoke his scared name
in holy monologue

he's honored on the fifteenth
in the merry month of june
folks dance around his statue
while a piper plays a tune

if saint vitus day is rainy
for a month it's sure to pour
and though he's gone forever
he's a hard one to ignore