ONE MORE TIME

Draw near to my lowly whisper 
Thou enemy of mine,
Stare into my eyes with your lifeless glare
O angel of death.

Though I lay in the warmth of my blood,
I shall rise again,
To lift a bottle of fine wine to these fringed lips,
And dance in tomorrow’s sunshine.

On the open seas I shall lift my sails 
And there I shall be carried by the east wind 
Beyond the outlines of the shore.

Within me, the breath of life 
Shall remain hostage,
Until I embrace the compassion of a woman 
Under the coolness of satin sheets.

Never will I relinquish 
The fire of my soul to your clutches of death,
Until I’ve experienced his miracle 
In this mangled body of mine.

Wilford Barker.