Gray storm clouds brushed the midday sun;
The air was sharply rent
With ghastly shrieks of horror and
Befouled with monster scent.
A strange parade lurched down the street;
The crowd stared on in awe;
Sheer horror froze one ashen face
Aghast at what she saw.

Cthulhu led the Ancient Ones,
Black tentacles awaving;
It stomped along on taloned feet
That cracked the concrete paving.
Each suckered arm held tight a flute
Which blasted raucous noise.
It flexed its mighty bat-like wings,
Delighting girls and boys.

Behind It hopped the Deep-Ones who
Were minions of that mass
And followed close the mammoth crack
Of Great Cthulhu's ass.
Their bulging eyes glared at the crowd;
They twitched webbed feet and hands
Still dripping wet and slippery, strewn
With slimy seaweed strands.

Tsathoggua, toad-like creature from
N'kai's dank, nighted caves,
Came nodding in response to all
The happy cheers and waves.
But suddenly it stopped and searched;
The throng grew extra loud;
Its slippery tongue slid forth to snatch
A youngster from the crowd.

Blind Azathoth, dressed as a clown
And lacking poise and grace,
Was next, this cosmic ruler of
All time and total space.
The mindless chap had left his throne
In Chaos, leagues away,
To let creation see him romp
About and gaily play.

Yog-Sothoth, guard'yan of the gate,
A walking-mountain god,
The All-in-One and One-in-all
Could only slowly plod.
Beside him poor Lavinia
Walked at his hulking side---
The idiot who'd mated him,
His long dead, dim-wit bride.

Dread herald of the Ancient Ones,
The Crawling Chaos came
Dressed as a reigning Pharaoh old---
Nyarlathotep his name.
Strange instruments he used to make,
For those who lined the curb,
The sweetest cotton candy clouds---
A tasty treat superb.

Shub-Niggurath came in his wake
With all her Thousand Young
Who smugly marched and left behind
A trail of goatish dung.
But Nub and Yeg, her favored two,
Were there to sweep aside
The awful mess the brats had made,
With brooms made extra wide.

Then sudden darkness blacked the sky;
Loud thunder rolled and crashed;
Strange lightning morphed into a snake
That 'bout the heavens dashed.
The Hounds of Tindalos from high
Above made their appearance,
And joined the line where they could see
A fairly ample clearance.

Crude Chaugnar Faugn raised throaty voice
And sang most loud and clear
The words to "I love a parade!!!!"
For all who watched to hear.
It sniffed the musky air and held
Its cosmic snout just high
Enough to pierce the fleeting clouds
That crossed the angry sky.

Ma Hydra and Pa Dagon marched
Together arm in arm
And smiled at all the folks to show
They meant to them no harm.
The Great Race, those inverted cones,
Were skipping and quite merry;
Their weird antennae clicked and clapped
And seemed but mildly scary.

Some gruesome ghouls barked at the mob
Amid spectator groans
Who watched them gnaw contentedly
On meaty, human bones.
Lloigor and Zhar were followed by
The Tcho-Tcho gang.
The Night-gaunts and the Shoggoths and
The Yuggoth Mi-Go sang.

While Yig the nasty Serpent-god
Slid slick upon its tummy,
Chilled Ithaqua heaved dirty ice
And snow balls soft and scummy.
The grim procession thus appeared;
The Old Ones and their crew;
With beatific calmness they
All passed in harsh review.

The large parade concluded and
The crowd had lost its fear
As Hastur the Unspeakable
Came bringing up the rear.
Dressed like a Sherpa shepherd guy,
He held a Yellow Sign
That signaled there would be no more;
He was the last in line.

The Elder Ones and servants then
Trudged out of public sight
Amid hurrahs and loud applause
As folks expressed delight.
And when the pantheon had gone
And Providence calmed down;
Spectators sought their quiet homes
Within the ancient town.

The Swan Point Cemetery was
The peaceful place where each
Monstrosity determined that
This day he'd march to reach.
It gathered there, that god-like group,
And solemnly it gave
Its homage to remains still left
In Howard Lovecraft's grave.