Carol Anne

Over there in that country graveyard
Where few wild, wild flowers are lain
Over there they lay over my little sister
Over there lay my small, sad sister
Now at rest with long gone grandparents
She’s gone from us forever, at a very early age
Once while young was as fragile as the most fragile flower
Restless as the wildest wind, unable to be content
Born seeking love as deep as the ocean
This was the girl I tried hard to guide
Left her back in our Pioneer Valley, our only known childhood home
To try and escape very unpleasant memories
To see the world and its riches, fame and fortune to gain
In the hope of rewriting my early experiences
When I returned to New York, no treasures or caring friends
Could ease my heart so full of pain
I had tried so hard to guide Carol Anne
But at her untimely end I felt I had failed her
Now, so cold there on that weedy field
Below that mound of uneven ground
My mind wanders there
The girl I tried so often to comfort
Noe she lays between those transplanted flowers
Lovingly placed there by a saintly aunt
She lay, I so hope she is at peace with herself
I’ll again go away, and I’ll again wander
Hoping one day that my path leads back home
Now I leave aside my meager earthly gain
And I’ll not end it, myself with simple riches
Undone in sorrow I remain
Yes, undone in sorrow I remain
Author: Brother RCM, for anyone caring enough to read or to sing of her memory