Introduction: 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