By Strange Angel

Painful Influence

As the days grow old,
And the years fly past,
The children are formed,
Alone in the grass.

Through the shadowy orchard
I whistle and sing
And the trees all round me
Dark gifts to me bring

I smile and laugh
And dream I am old
But the branches around me
Punish and scold

The wind through the leaves
Tells me I’m wrong
That all of my life
I have sung the wrong song

They pass me the lyrics
But it’s hard to succeed
And deep down I realized;
I lack what it needs

The beautiful rhyme
Is worshiped and praised
And I promise myself
I’ll sing it one day

I find myself leaving
The notes I don’t need
Persuading myself
All else is but greed

One day I sang it
Better than the rest
But the trees didn’t notice.

I looked at myself
And I shuddered and cried
And realized my beautiful tone’s
All but died

I struggled so hard,
For that beautiful song,
Forgetting my music,
Was beautiful all along.

Slowly I recovered,
And I realised with glee,
That my notes were returning,
And that grass was friendly.

And now I am wiser,
I don’t listen to trees,
And sitting in the orchard,
Friends are all I need.

This is my message
And what I must tell:
Enjoy your own music
And you will do well.