Beside the Waters

 

Their hearts met on the ocean,

Far from any shore,

Their hearts met one another,

Like neither met before,

Young man to see the world,

Young beauty returning to family,

The met upon the ocean,

Out across the ocean,

They met upon the ocean,

Away from any shore.

They shared words of discovery,

Learning about each other,

Secret places they each adored,

Finding one they knew together,

In a small Italian village,

A cafe beside the sea,

With tables beside the waters,

Right beside the waters,

Together beside those waters,

Is where they wished to be.

Then at night the storm did come,

Upon the Mediterranean,

Howling winds upon the ship,

Waters rising up inside,

The two clung together in darkness,

Till the waters pulled them apart,

He shouted, “I will find you by the waters,

The cafe beside the waters!

Go to our place beside the waters!”

Were his final words.

There were survivors of the shipwreck,

Some who made it to the village,

Some of us who heard those lovers,

To that cafe we did go,

Beneath the clouded moonlight,

Between the seaside tables,

A ghostly beauty stood awaiting,

By the railing she was waiting,

But when the moonlight struck her waiting,

We could see her no more.

Having been shaken to the soul,

We resolved to go back together,

Those of us with courage,

On a black and moonless night,

We approached that cafe railing,

To see the shadow of a young man,

To his love he was calling,

Across the waters calling,

We ran to where he was calling,

And he vanished from our sight.

It has been many years since,

I have heard that cafe is closed now,

And the locals still hear those lovers,

On the quietist hours of night,

In the moonlight she still calls him,

On the moonless nights he cries out,

“Oh, come to me I am waiting!”

In the moonlight she calls waiting,

In they same place they are waiting,

Beside the waters of tragic love.