Just in case this all falls through
And one of us can or cannot be
Exactly who we wish to be
Would you remember me as I am right now?
And I'll remember you like this
As the girl of dreams
Mixed with the memory of *what could've been

Where did all the children go?
The wails of parents resonate
Homes stripped of joy and cheer
What do you mean, Christmas spirit?

The wails of parents resonate
But there's nothing they can do
What do you mean, Christmas spirit?
Here's a red poppy, please feel better

There's nothing they can do
but try their hardest not to cry
Here's a red poppy, please feel better
but nothing will ever be the same

While they tried their hardest not to cry,
the cold marble wall filled with the names of their children
reminded them that nothing would ever be the same
And all they could think of was, where did all the children go?

It had been a moonlit night then,
Watching the towed flaccid raft,
I thought that I had seen her resting,
Exhausted there on the wooden craft.

I called her out unbeknownst her name,
"Hey young lady," to which she responded not,
She had looked up once in anguish & collapsed,
I had thought that I had seen despair in her amber eyes & must help her.

The crewmen had then been doing the padles after resting,
I had called my captain and asked him if he could see a girl in the raft,
The captain had just smiled and said, "You should get married commodore,"
I must have looked apprehensive so he had said, "There's no girl."

True he had been as she had just disappeared,
I had then started thinking of my sleep needs that day,
I had again looked around hoping to find the girl,
I had surely compromised my routine as the commodore.

Then I had immediately realized it to be my wild phantasm,
Surely that had just been a tired sailor's mind's illusion,
For no mermaids ever existed in the real world and were fake,
I had then turned back towards the deck to go back to my bunk for sleeping.

As I had climbed down the stairs to enter my room amazed and confused,
I had seen her standing as she had been waiting for me by the side of my bunk,
I had accepted the my mind's delusion & started to lie down,
She had said, "I'm as real as your thoughts, don't fear me."

She & I-me & her, had the best time that night,
In the morning she had been gone & simply gone,
Disappeared into thin air while I was asleep,
Each day I so dearly longed for her to return.

Oh, Abernathy
How long has it been
Since we left school
And went our separate ways?

Oh, Abernathy
I still think of you
And I wonder how you are
To this day

All the things we used to make
All the rules we tried to break
And they say that kids will still be kids

But, oh, Abernathy
The teachers are doing fine
They were smiling
When I visited them one day

And, oh, Abernathy
I hope you're doing well
Wherever you are
Whatever may come your way

Oh, the memories I hold dear
They have all but disappeared
It's both a blessing and a curse

Oh, Abernathy
My Lawrence, Abernathy
I wonder what you're doing
To this day

There's no need to be upset
Please don't sweat this stuff or fret
I only want to let you know

Abernathy, you're still on my mind
I remember your golden hair and your pearly eyes
Our friendship will never fade away, I swear

Oh, Abernathy
Dear Lawrence, Abernathy
I just pray to God
That you are still okay

Oh, Abernathy
I always think of you
And I wonder how you are
To this day