24 July 2012
A house, abandoned, but on the mantle Lies a yellowed photograph. My mother, father, sister and I Snapshot of us, mid- laugh.
I found it there, thick with grime and dust After forty years or so. As I hold it in my hand A teardrop falls, and I let go
I cannot face the memories That this image brings Taken the day before my sister drowned I can still hear her sing
That daunting verse of the song she sung Deafens and deprives me As she skipped, chanting, through the park A ghost of what she used to be
'There once was a girl by the river, Her skin as pale as dove, She tripped into the water And never rose above,
Her soul it haunts these waters So be forever wake, Keep your eyes on the path and reeds Or you'll be hers to take.'
I hear the chant taught by my ma It sets my mind alight So make sure that you're careful When you go walking in the night.
Chant Of The Water Girl • Opuss № I