What have I done?
these words, they shake my mind
there will be no peace tonight
for neither him nor I
I can see him sitting now
breaking, as he tries to grasp
as assumed eternity, abruptly lost
the ugly truth behind the mask
a strange pallor casts over that room
moon's sickly light barely piercing the gloom
there a beam falls on a masquerade dress
left crumpled on the floor- treachery at its best
and him still sitting, waiting
still ready to play
though he knows all too well now
we've thrown that away
so see him stagger, drunken
stumbling through the streets
up, up, up to the tallest bridge in town
high above the rivers' meet
see it now, his corpse in the spring
painting the waters red
hair falling out, teeth a-rot
fine body gray and dead
and moments later he's back to the house
sound asleep within the hour
to think! of what people would say
his final reputation- a coward!
"We are men, we are men,
we are manly, manly men!"
"Ah, no-
I can't imagine it either now.
It's not at all like my fine Torvald Helmer
to have so much guts-"
Torvald is sound asleep
(does he dream tonight?)
the doctor- at rest as well
Nils and Linde are on the mend and I?
sit vigil through this longest night
not daring to mourn what I've killed.
