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RETURN TO TERRAPIN

Up these steps beside me climb
To Terrapin and points sublime
Robbed of reason, faith and name
Broken hearted, blind and lame

Slain by doubt, mistaken trust
Abandoned in the rain to rust
Shriveled by the heat of day
Torn to shreds by birds of prey

Shapeless in the fire's glow
Tell me if you think you know
Who it was we were below
Where we've been and where we go

Lilies have the bees to tend them
Grasses have the breeze to bend them
Broken hearts have tears to mend them
Show us stairs, we will ascend them

Stair by stair by stair we climb
Voices hushed to sighs by time
Speak our souls in pantomime
Clear cold bells of winter chime

Pale through this ghostly haze
the dawn of a newborn moon
illuminates an ancient maze
of tumbled stones rough hewn

Trust your faith and enter
by paths the heart divines
The sun lies at the center
through gates of creeping vines

how faint the rays
of former days
in avenues of time-
but it does shine,
emblem of sight,
pride of the eyes
that shatters shadow
and all of the dark defies

Let the Sun rise!



AND I KNOW YOU

Endless recognitions pour
like honey from a honey jar;
Lights from near and distant stars
come streaming through the door

Tonight I do not know my face
from one who looks the same
by flicker of unburning flame
inside this old familiar place

Fortune sweet and bitter fate
converse beside the open fire
removed from weavings of desire,
twisted skeins of love and hate

And I know you
Yes I do
I know you -
And you know me -
I could swear
you know me too

We have been together
since the firstborn seed of light
reflected on the water
and divided day from night
Sometimes we were strangers
Sometimes we were friends
Dreamed up lives of danger
Broke hearts and made amends

It's time to leave fair Terrapin
Head down the stairs again
Step by step return below
Fill the blanks in as we go
Find out what we need to know;
from gossip if it must be so
Forsake this cool and kindly light
for troubled day and sleepless night

Or shall I go while you remain;
search below for you in vain
find you here from time to time,
elusive subject of a rhyme?
Or would you rather go alone
in unfamiliar flesh and bone,
meet and put me to the test,
a crimson blossom at your breast?

I don't know how we chose before,
for love or sorrow, peace or war
but where our paths unite the two
you always know me
yes you do --and know that I know you




LEAVING TERRAPIN

Be careful how you speak of us
Take no ones name in vain
Someday we are bound to meet
in fortune's glades again
As we lose our faith and trust,
guide us, though insane,
through cataracts of wailing souls
in search of grace and fame

Was it you along beside me
who crawled out of the sea?
Who is that one sleeping
in the shadow of the tree?
Who is that beside her?
Is it who it seems to be?
Do not disturb their slumber
Oh, true love, let them be

Prophetic dreams and peaceful,
not tumultuous and deep
ease the crease upon their brows
and smile upon their sleep
While starfish gather coral
beneath the foam and froth,
they offer hymns to Isis
Osiris and Astoroth

Although the stars have shifted,
we're not lost
The westward rolling breeze
decides our course
Seems such a long, long time
since we last sighted land
but a seabird brought
this olive branch
and dropped it in my hand

All of this was sung before
and shall be sung again
Forgotten songs
reclaim their tunes
when leaving Terrapin
Orion sparkles overhead
but just a bit misplaced
Visions rescued from the dead
speak from your living face

You look to me like starshine
on the foothills of the moon
Crickets make the rhythm
and cicadas play the tune
When the music falters
growing ever dark and thin,
the light refrains from shining
on the gates of Terrapin

The banners of the station hang
like cobwebs from a dream
Echoes fade where music rang
and candles lose their gleam
Breath flies from the body
and inspiration fails
The storyteller packs his kit
and leaves the Land of Tales

If I've been a long time gone
It's not that love of you
has been forsaken or forgot
or halved and broke in two
Outside major darkness
where the circle is complete
there's no fear that lovers born
will ever fail to meet

Inspiration move me right
Let sense and color guide me
Where other feet have stumbled
Lift me over lightly
Raise the rag-ends of a voice
to make some kind of song
Not to make it perfect
but more nearly right than wrong



RECOGNITION

Raise the drinking horn again
Let laughter fill the hall
The storyteller has returned
from other ports of call

He seems to be a younger man
than when he went away-
though you and I, my own true love,
have lived to show our day

Still you seem a stranger
in the flesh of someone dear
While the storyteller speaks
I feel your darkness stir

I see the shadows on the wall
take color, depth and form
I see a lion's den await
three riders in the storm

I see you fall upon the ground
for space of half an hour
Then I see you rise again
cloaked in earthly power

I see myself approach the den
to work your fateful will
Terrapin shines in the west
The anxious wind grows still

Did I make the proper choice?
The storyteller winks
Even though I hear his voice
I can't tell what he thinks

Hand in hand we leave the fire
the storytelling done;
pinch the candle and retire
tonight our dreams are one

Counting stars by candlelight
all are dim but one is bright:
the spiral light of Venus
rising first and shining best
from the northwest corner
of a brand new crescent moon
while crickets and cicadas sing
a rare and different tune

Terrapin Station

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