Northern Lights

You came with the cold Painting the green mountains With yellow and gold The lakes trembled and swayed Beneath your canoe I peered through the pines Watching you float by This island of mine The grass, tender and thin, Lay heavy with dew You called out to me In a language I've known Since before I could speak Your voice echoed beside The cries of the loons I tried to reply Til the hunger inside me Brought tears to my eyes Above, sallow and dim, Hung the shell of the moon Hand on my heart Light in the dark Bathe me in green and black Fool that am I I watched you pass by And you're never coming back I wait in the pines year after year Hoping that someday Your boat will appear The lakes, tacet and grim Grow bitter and cold And bitted my hate, bitter my strife Bitter the hard-hearted Transience of life I know nothing is gold Nothing is gold, nothing is gold Ah, but this hand on my heart Light in the dark Bathe me in green and black Fool that am I I watched you pass by And you're never coming back