The Eastern sky and its crescent moon Illuminated the river and its spring the pure My forsaken raft, just a distant shade While the day was crawling into its grave Down at a dry branch a girl named Mary Stumbled over a dead oak tree trunk full of water She led me down to this old stump to see That the river did wear our countenance I felt warm honey lips and angel hair Her gifted hands did find that wound An obscure hole underneath my breast of pain Where she warmed my heart and gave me peace A new raft was built, yes, it took us forth
Downriver we reached the bank of Bordertown September, an ancient house, I married my girl Then we kissed in that sunny courtyard garden And that rising stream teared us away The years went by, truly nothing of note Summer was gone and our fall came soon We held hands and feared the river's final bed Indeed, the river mouth we reached someday It was our port, the beauty of a quiet ocean Where the river's singing filled our hearts A bolted door did open those glowing paths