The Freckled Face of a Girl

~~~ Dappled grey horses sweat crusted and weary hooves drifting dust lift a day passing dreary The harness bells faded reigned in at the rill a cool running brook near the base of our hill ~ My eyes I'm a lad scant older than four brought visions to mind full of wonders in store A wagon decked out like a big city market he lifted the side then he shook out the carpet ~ Our old kitchen door screamed out lack of oil a kettle clanged gently just set on to boil E'er mother's voice shouted "I think it's the Pox the old folks have died I've been digging their plots" ~ "My father's in bed and they won't let me near" the stranger walked by with a smile mussed my hair Went in with a bag full of magic he grows started mixing a broth made with god only knows ~ Tip toed on a box dragged in from the yard through windows he folded gunpowder with lard The screams of my father sent tears to my eyes they rubbed him completely in spite of his cries ~ They fed him the broth a few drops at a time I climbed off the box with his horses in mind "The horses love apples" I turned with a whirl peeking out from his wagon the freckled face of a girl ~ In moments I knew her a lifetime it seemed a most likeable friend who knew all the schemes As father got better t'was time to move on her father a doctor a peddler a con ~ He'd done us a service we could never repay though he sold us an organ an' stool by the way Each year they returned once or twice they dropped by little freckle faced Mary soon the girl of my eye ~ They'd rest a few days with each visit it's true she wrote the best love songs while I wrote the tunes Then one night it happened 'neath moon and the stars consummating a love that would forever be ours ~ He stumbled upon us but said not a word in the morning so early fading echoes we heard Ne'er again did we see them though rumors of peril ... my parents expired to a place 'neath the barrow ~ Five years had surpassed isolation and grief knocked a lamp from the table when I'd fallen asleep The house nearly cinder an' I felt like the fool only item I'd saved was the old organ stool ~ Just sat there and watched till the sun broke the morn in the distance an echo I'd heard years before Then over the rise sweat crusted and weary two dappled grey horses on a day passing dreary ~ The horses reigned in right next to the rill that sweet running brook at the base of our hill A woman climbed down took a step to the glade the dawning day's sun streaming in to pervade ~ A light in my heart jumped a thousand times fold the smile in her eyes and the story's been told The tears fell in rapture though nothing was said embraced now with Mary she'd returned from the dead ~ She unhitched the horses I lifted the side "The years have been kind" I said lifting her pride "Are you my daddy?" I turned with a whirl peeking out from the wagon the freckled face of a girl