Before My Time

I stood in the shadow
Between the night and dawn
And I walked like the candle
And dreamed away the dawn

Before the final curtain fell
Across my weary eyes
I’m sure I saw the ghost of truth
At least a thousand times

And all that I defended
Within the prison walls
Was captured or surrendered
I watched the banners fall

And stumbling blindly through the flame
I fell into the sea
And drifted out upon the waves
Into eternity

But somеhow I rememberеd
When all the stars had flown
Hidden pines, the royal sky
The palms came tumbling home

To glorify the prison walls
They tried so hard to climb
Never knowing that for them all
The prison is the mind

And now I know the story
Before I turn the page
The games I played for glory
Have vanished with the age

And I can only love you now
And you can do the same
For I have learned that love somehow

Will brush away the pain