Meadowlark

when i was a girl l i had a favorite story
of the meadowlark who lived where the rivers wind
her voice could match the angels' in its glory
but she was blind, the lark was blind
an old king came and took her to his palace
where the walls were burnished bronze and golden braid
and he fed her fruit and nuts from an ivory chalice
and he prayed:

"sing for me, my meadowlark,
sing for me of the silver morning,
set me free, my meadowlark,
and i'll buy you a priceless jewel
and cloth of brocade and crewel
and i'll love you for life,
if you will sing for me."

then one day as the lark sang by the water
the god of the sun heard her in his flight
and her singing moved him so
he came and brought her the gift of sight
he gave her sight
and she opened her eyes to the shimmer and the splendor
of this beautiful, young god, so proud and strong
and he called to the lark in a voice both rough and tender
"come along.
fly with me, my meadowlark,
fly with me on the silver morning,
past the sea where the dolphins bark
we will dance on the coral beaches,
make a feast of the plums and peaches
just as far as your vision reaches
fly with me."

but the meadowlark said no
for the old king loved her so
she couldn't bear to wound his pride
so the sun god flew away
and when the king came down that day
he found his meadowlark had died
every time i heard that part i cried ...

and now i stand here starry-eyed and stormy
oh, just when i thought my heart was finally numb
a beautiful, young man appears before me,
singing "come, oh, won't you come?"
and what can i do if finally for the first time
the one i'm burning for returns the glow?
if love has come at last it's picked the worst time
still i know
i've got to go

fly away, meadowlark
fly away in the silver morning,
if i stay, i'll grow to curse the dark
so it's off where the days won't bind me
i know i leave wounds behind me
but i won't let tomorrow find me
back this way
before my past once again can blind me
fly away ...
and we won't wait
to say good-bye
my beautiful young man
and i.