Today by the sea I say farewell
To the land that I call my home
The land that has nurtured me
and heard my sorrows
The land that has taught me
And filled my heart with joy.
I say farewell to the grand mountains
And windy mountain roads
To the towering ancient trees
Holding the memory of long ago.
I say farewell to the small forest paths
Lined with moss and lichen under a canopy of cedar
To the bracken rivers
Singing over broken moss-lined stone.
I say farewell to the tiny rural towns
Filled with poverty and laughter
To the uneasy blend of culture
Native tribes, loggers-- immigrants and city transplants.
I say farewell to the toppling farmhouses
With flecking red paint next to rotting silos
To the unkept fields, fences and barns
That speak of a dying way of life.
I say farewell to towering totem poles
Keeping the memory of an abandoned people
To the cedar canoe and the fishing boats
That once roamed and still roam to salty cove.
I say farewell to tourist towns
With streets lined with Victorian homes
To funky bookstores and logging museums
Lining two lane highways.
With streets lined with Victorian homes
To funky bookstores and logging museums
Lining two lane highways.
I say farewell to the creatures I know and love
The deer on the beach with her fawns
To the otter playing in the Hood Canal
And the grand bald eagle alone on the beach.
The deer on the beach with her fawns
To the otter playing in the Hood Canal
And the grand bald eagle alone on the beach.
But I do not say farewell to the sea.
I may cross a continent, but the same
Sea that calls me here, will call me there
The rocks may be different, the seashore unique
But the sea is always the same.
I may cross a continent, but the same
Sea that calls me here, will call me there
The rocks may be different, the seashore unique
But the sea is always the same.
And of course, I will come back!
