THE STORY OF LETTY BURNS

WALKING ON THE BEACH ONE EVENING, IN THE FADING SUNSET GLOW,
I SAW A WOMAN STANDING BY THE OCEANS EBB AND FLOW.

SHE WAS FRAIL AND OLD AND WEARY, AND HER HAIR WAS SILVERY GRAY.
SHE WAS JUST STANDING THERE, JUST WATCHING, AND HER THOUGHTS
SEEMED MILES AWAY.

THERE WAS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT HER, THERE BESIDE THE
EMPTY SEA.
AND THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE IT BOTHERED ME.

SO I ASKED ABOUT THE VILLAGE TO SEE WHAT I COULD LEARN,
AND ONE OLD MAN TOLD ME THE STORY OF LETTY BURNS.

SHE HAD BEEN THE VILLAGE BEAUTY IN HER YOUNG DAYS LONG AGO.
AND TO MEN WHO TRIED TO COURT HER SHE WOULD ALWAYS ANSWER NO.

THEN A STORM UPON THE OCEAN, ONE WILD SEPTEMBER DAY
BROUGHT THE VILLAGERS TOGETHER IN THE LASHING WIND AND SPRAY.

THROUGH THE TUMULT AND THE THUNDER CAME A SIGNAL, FAINT BUT CLEAR,
SOME ONE SHOUTED, " THAT'S A SIREN, LISTEN TO IT, CAN'T YOU HEAR?"

SO MEN FOUGHT THE MADDENED WATERS, FOUGHT THE SCREAMING
WIND AND RAIN,
MEN AND BOATS WERE BEATEN, BATTERED, BUT THEY TRIED IT ONCE AGAIN.

THEN A FLASH OF LIVING LIGHTNING LIT THE WILD AND FURIOUS SCENE,
WE COULD SEE THE SHIP OUT YONDER, HEAR HER FRIENZIED SIREN SCREAM.

IT WAS A DAY I'LL REMEMBER 'TILL MY DYEING DAY,
WE WATCHED THAT PROUD SHIP RACING FOR THE ROCKS IN DEAD MAN'S
BAY.

THEN WE HEARD HER CRASH AND SHATTER, HEARD MEN SCREAMING
IN THE WIND.
AND THE WAVES CAME TWISTING, ROLLING, BRINGING DEAD MENS
BODIES IN.

THEN WE WENT AMONG THEM, HOPING THAT WE WOULD FIND ONE
LIFE TO SAVE,
JUST ONE LIFE TO CHEAT THE TEMPEST AND AN OPEN WAITING GRAVE.

WELL WE FOUND ONE, JUST A YOUNSTER, BRUISED AND BATTERED,
BUT ALIVE,
AND WE GOT HIM TO A DOCTOR IN THE VILLAGE OF ST. IVES.

LATER THEN WE HEARD HIS STORY, HOW HIS SHIP FROM ENGLAND
SAILED,
BOUND FOR NOVA SCOTIA SHE HAD FOUGHT BOTH SEA AND GALES,

'TILL LOST UPON THE OCEAN, JUST SAILING DAY BY DAY,
SHE HAD MET THE STORM THAT WRECKED HER ON THE ROCKS IN
DEAD MAN'S BAY.

THE PEOPLE MADE HIM WELCOME, HE JOINED IN THEIR FUN,
BUT WE NOTICED HIS ATTENTION SEEMED TO FAVOR ONLY ONE.

LETTY BURNS HAD MET HER MASTER, BUT SHE LOVED HIM, THAT
WAS PLAIN.
ALL THE OTHER MEN WERE NOTHING, ALL THEIR OFFERS WERE IN VAIN,

THEN WE LEARNED THEY MEANT TO MARRY, LETTY BURNS AND
RONNIE DALE.
AND THE NEWS WENT ROUND THE VILLAGE IN MANY A BACK YARD TALE.

PEOPLE SHOOK THEIR HEADS AND WHISPERED THAT THE GIRL HAD
LOST HER MIND.
WEDDING AN UNKNOWN STRANGER, BEST SHE MARRY HER OWN KIND.

THEN A WHALING SHIP CAME SAILING TO THE PIERS ONE SUNNY DAY,
AND BEFORE WE KNEW HE MEANT TO, RONNIE DALE HAD SAILED AWAY.

I WELL RECALL THAT MORNING, PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE PIERS,
OTHER VILLAGE MEN WERE SAILING, THERE WAS SADDNESS, THERE
WERE TEARS.

BUT LETTY BURNS WAS SMILING AS SHE WATCHED HER LOVER GO.
HE WILL BE BACK, AND WE WILL MARRY, THAT WAS SIXTY YEARS AGO.

STILL SHE WAITS HER LOVER'S COMING AS THE SLOW YEARS PASS
HER BY.
YEARS THAT TURNED HER HAIR TO SILVER, DIMMED THE LUSTER IN
HER EYES.

SIXTY YEARS SHE HAS WATCHED AND WAITED, AND SHE GOES THERE
EVERY DAY.
WHERE THE TIDES FROM FAR HORIZONS SWEEP THE SHORES OF
DEAD MAN'S BAY.


(ELIZABETH E. HARMON)