One morning, against a crystal sky,
I watched the flight of a swan.
A graceful white winged line, he flew
At the edge of a rose gold dawn.

He'd flown a path no compass knew
From the shores of some far flung sea.
His lonely, far skied, haunting call
Seemed a message just for me.

"Come, follow me," he seemed to say,
"Where the north wind never blows."
"Come, follow me to a distant land
That only the wild swan knows."

Earthbound I stood that rose gold dawn,
Feet planted in the frozen snow,
But I wished for wings that could carry me
To the place where the wild swans go.


From Laugh Kills Lonesome (Buglin' Bull Press, 1990).
Used here with permission.