AS TIME GOES BY

LORD IT SEEMS MY DAYS ARE FILLED
WITH REMEMBERING CHILDHOOD WAYS
OF WIND AND RAIN AND SUMMER DAYS

ADVENTURES THAT LED ME FAR FROM HOME
DOWN HEATHER-ED PATHS OF FOREST LOAM

CROSS HILL AND DELL,  THAT TOUCHED THE SKY
MY HEART SO FILLED WITH QUESTIONS,  "WHY."

I ALWAYS SENSED THAT YOU WERE THERE
YOUR VOICE WITHIN ME, DREW ME WHERE

IN TANGENT THOUGHT THAT WAS NOT MINE
YOU SPOKE YOUR WORD OF TRUTH'S SWEET RHYME

I HUNGER STILL TO HEAR YOU SAY,
"COME WALK WITH ME, A LITTLE WAY
GIVE TO ME YOUR WORLDLY CARES
AND THINGS THAT FILL YOUR EYES WITH TEARS

HERE CHILD,  COME TAKE MY HAND
RELEASE TO ME LIFE'S SHIFTING SAND

I SEE THE THINGS YOU LONG TO KNOW
THOSE THINGS THAT TURN NOT TO AND FRO

OR SMELLS OF WOODLAND FOREST MOSS
THAT THING THAT MAKES YOU THINK OF LOSS

YOU GRIEVE OF GOLDEN FIELDS GONE DRY
OF THOSE YOU'VE HAD TO SAY GOOD BYE

LET ME TELL YOU OF THE TRUTH I SEE
A HEATHER-ED PATH,  IN FRONT OF ME

THAT RUNS ALONG THE HILLS AND DELLS
WHERE BREEZES BLOW WITH PRAYERFUL SMELLS

THAT WAFT TO STARS BEYOND THE SKY
YOU CAN'T IMAGINE, IF YOU TRY

WHERE TIME STANDS STILL
AND ANGELS SING
WHERE LOVED ONES PAST
THEIR PRAISES BRING

I SEE THEM WAVING,  A DANCING THRONG
THEY KNOW THAT SOON WE'LL COME ALONG

BELOVED ONE,  IT'S TIME TO TURN
FROM VISIONS PAST,  THAT YOU MIGHT LEARN

THAT JOY AND GRACE AND PRAISE FOR ME
ARE EYES THAT SEE ETERNITY

THAT LEAVE THE GOLDEN WITHERED FIELDS
WITH HEART AND MIND THAT TRULY YIELDS
THE DREAMS OF WITHERING, TRANSIENT DAYS
 A VAPOR'S ETHEREAL, VANISHING WAY

TO LEAVE THE HEART IN SOUL'S REGRET
OF ALL THE GOALS THAT NE'ER WERE MET

COME NOW, TO FEEL MY GENTLE RAIN
LET GO OF SORROWS LEPROUS PAIN

THAT HEARS MY SPIRIT'S VOICE AGAIN
THAT SAYS,  THERE IS NO FINAL END

SURRENDERED NOW TO WHIM AND WHY
SOMEDAY YOU'LL FIND AS TIME GOES BY

THE HOPE THAT RISES IN YOUR SOUL
YOUR LONGING TO BE FREE AND WHOLE

IS BUT MY SEAL,  AND PROMISED BE
MY VERY LIFE, IN YOU,  YOU'LL SEE

JOY LACKEY