A gentle lady.

When soft moonlight kisses my shadowy sleep,

And night begins her weaving,

I will search in my darkened keep,

With my hands clasped in prayer,

With my heart open to care,

For the dawn beyond my grieving.

 

 

Beware the stones on the path of charity,

They cut and scar the flesh,

Swim strongly against the ancient sea,

Avoid the rocks that beckon you,

Abandon the cliffs that call you,

Drown in the quiet loving sleep.

 

 

There is a gentle drowning at dawn,

The old darkness fades away,

And is replaced by a new orphan,

A new lost child facing the sea,

A beckoning bittered by misery,

Take care of your heart and pray.

 

 

Winter has caught me weeping with fright,

The wind has followed me closely,

I will lay near to the fire tonight,

For tomorrow this soft soul will fall,

In the morning when they call,

My cell will be empty.