Another Fading Light

Another fading light upon the cape

That once did mark a channel deep and clear

A beacon burning brightly used to make

A welcome guide for sailors to the pier

The lighthouse keeper has since moved to town

And many of the towers have been razed

An automatic light goes round and round

Pray no one needs a rescue from the waves

Another wharf lies crumbling in the beach

No boats there waiting for an empty berth

Just as the ocean bounty’s out of reach

There is no simple measure of its’ worth

It used to be where people gathered round

Where freight and correspondence were received

To see if any strangers came to town

Or if the news was fit to be believed

Another local family’s outward bound

Belongings packed and all the lamps are trimmed

A tearful goodbye is the only sound

A way of life will pass as memories dim

Despair for many who will have to go

Bewilderment as they find somewhere new

Rejection of the skills they used to know

Get on with finding something else to do

One more abandoned town along the coast

Where once upon a time the children played

The harbours full of fishermen and boats

Who boldly went to sea to ply their trade

Where women raised their children to be strong

And thankful for the food upon their plate

They learned the difference between right and wrong

Absorbed the blows dealt by the hand of fate

​So another song has just about been sung

There’s another story waiting to be told

Of the days when all of us were young

Clever, handsome, willing able bold

So may a fair wind speed you on your way

And may the snowflakes melt beneath your feet

May all of us return again someday

And recognize each other when we meet