my mistress
she is the wilderness
the feel of the backpack weighing me down
sinking my feet into the dirt
dragging me back with every
step i take

my mistress
she is the open sky
the constellations set over my head
and the stars burning out
and being reborn
constantly in a dance not meant for our eyes

my mistress
she is the heart on the
face of the mountain
seen by the playing children
swinging on their swings
pretending to fly

my mistress
she is the grape soda
the liquid courage
the teenager drinks
to help stave off the pain
when writing of sad things

my mistress
is the pain
the hole in my heart
that she left
when she went away
way too soon

my mistress
is the feeling of isolation
going beyond shutting yourself away in a room
that need to be closer to her
but the wilderness cannot hold you
it does not have a heart beat

but sometimes
the trees have her face
and you feel so much closer to her
think of how much she should have grown
how she should have graduated with them
******

my mistress
is the mountains and the peaks
begging me to come step over them
but they are mere ideas
shaped by the earth
and they only make my back hurt

my mistress
is being alone
where there are no hands to hold me back
but still i do not jump
because there are no hands to catch me
no arms to hold me close

my mistress
is the darkness outside my window
the rain on the asphalt
the smell of freshly cut grass
they do not bring her back
but they make life a little less painful

Fate's a cruel mistress
She'll give you her fury
The likes of which hell hath not seen
So beware of her temper
Don't try to placate her
She's spiteful and bitter
She'll make you regret her
Fate's a cruel mistress
You'll see

She'll play you a lovesong
She'll whisper your name
But, son, heed my warning
She'll rob you blind in the morning
And have you arrested that day

She's spiteful and bitter
She'll make you regret her
Fate's a cruel mistress
You'll see

Son, don't stop listening to me now
She isn't done with you yet
It only gets worse from here
'Cause when you make bail
She'll shack up with your friends
She'll wear them on her finger like rings

She's spiteful and bitter
She'll make you regret her
Fate's a cruel mistress
You'll see

And when she's had her fun
She'll reach inside your back
She'll rip out your heart
You won't stand a chance
She'll leave you on the floor
And while your bleeding out
She'll say,
"You have nobody but yourself to blame."

Fate's a cruel mistress
She'll give you her fury
The likes of which hell hath not seen
So beware of her temper
Don't try to placate her
She's spiteful and bitter
She'll make you regret her
Fate's a cruel mistress
You'll see

She's spiteful and bitter
You'll never forget her
Fate's a cruel mistress
You'll see

Harbour lights beckoning
Like saintly haloed will-o-wisps
Annointing ocean mists

Jaded haunting memories
Come surging down with tidal force
And flood all other thoughts:

    "Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     And I love her more than thee"

How oft' those words have plagued me,
How many moons have traced the sky
To fall from high
Reborn to die
And all in vain to answer why
The sea could never save me?

Weary sea-legs greet the dock,
Where once they brought in stoic stance
An end to fair romance

Your eyes were filled with sadness,
Beacons born of hope and kindness
Blinded by my blindness:

    "Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     And I love her more than thee"

Stumbling blind from shore to lea,
From tavern, inn and hotel bar,
I search afar
Of ev'ry tar
To ask of all oh where you are
But nowhere can I find thee?

A young man needs adventure,
Yet all I learned from years at sea
Was all I missed of thee

Has time unwound the wounding
Of hasty words once said with zest
With pride and puffed-out chest:

    "Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     And I love her more than thee"

With all hope driven from me,
I watched a sailor paint a tale
To taint me pale
As he regailed
Of maiden fair and love that failed
And torment that befell thee

Panic wove itself a wreath
Around my heart and pulling tight
It dragged me through the night

From town to shore I stumbled
And there upon the jagged rocks
Espied your ebon locks:

    "Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     And I love her more than thee"

The beauty wrought within thee,
Noble grace and elegant flair
My maiden fair
Beyond compare
With ***** and seaweed in your hair,
What tragedy befell thee?

Translucent as the water,
You turn with sightless eyes to see
And see but thought of me

The sadness and betrayal
Takes harbour in your haunting face
Now anchored in this place:

    "Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     And I love her more than thee"

Through years that passed unkindly,
For all my sins of jealous pride
The truth I hide
From thee inside,
My heart and soul with thee reside
And I have always loved thee

The sea I loved has taken
The destined time we had to share
And thee in thy despair

Oh love my love forgive me,
Upon the sea I held so dear
To you alone I swear:

     *Weep not for me o' mistress,
     Ever my first love was the sea
     But my heart belonged to thee