There once was a girl in Barbados

Who envied her sister’s hair.

She herself wasn’t pretty,

As plain as a pear,

Oh, but she wished herself fair.

In town she heard tale of a witch

Who lived somewhere south in her lair.

It was said she had magic

Most others would scare,

But a wish she could grant, if you dared.

So off in the night the girl went

And found the old witchdoctor’s lair.

“Oh please,” said she,

“My own hair is dull,

And my sister’s cannot be compared!”

The witch coughed a throaty old laugh

And winked an odd eye at her plea,

“Bring her,” said she,

“It’s a simple revision,

If you give me a proper fee.”

“I’ve nothing to give,” said the girl in tears,

“I’ve no gift nor coin to offer.

Is there anything else,

Some food, or some wine,

I can give you instead to be proper?”

“Never mind gifts,” the witchdoctor answered,

“I’ve no use for coins or meals.

Some wine would be nice,

But not for this vice,

When you come, I will ask for my deal.”

So back the girl went to her sister

And sought out the witch the next night.

“What are we doing?”

Asked the dear sister,

“It’s cold and these woods are a fright!”

They soon found the witchdoctor’s hut,

And saw she made two straw dolls.

“These are for you,”

The witchdoctor chuckled,

“Now watch as I fix your qualm!”

They jumped as she tore the straw heads

And switched the dolls’ bodies anew.

Their own heads followed suit,

And they screamed a high tune,

Throats crooked and stitched all askew.

“Now for my fare,” the witchdoctor heckled,

“You’ve gotten your beautiful hair.

All I ask is your service,

From now till the End,

Until Death meets me, if He dares.”

One little light falls from the clouds

Catch it, catch it, tumbling down

One little light now in your grasp

Lucky, lucky, are you now

One little light shines from your lamp

Sighing, sighing, lying down

One little light now blinking out

Going, going, now it’s drowned

One little light’s time has begun

Growing, growing, brightening more

One little light draws one new gasp

Breathe in, breathe in, shine once more

Sometimes we all forget to breathe

Sometimes we lose the will to sing

We try so hard

Don't need to fall

To feel the biting, numbing crawl

The little things that drown us all

Can break us, hate us, choke our call

And the ravens soon will follow

All our skeletons tomorrow

Scars we court become the habit

In their grim divide we salve it

Digging deeper, bleeding cleaner

One cut closer to the femur

Strangers pull beneath our skin

Flailing dolls we writhe to swim

Six feet under our own shame

And we’re the catalysts to blame

But if we knew our maladies

Could act as someone’s remedies

For those who listened, those who screamed

Those who felt the pain we sing

Would it lift them up to know?

Would the numbness let them go?

If memories we thought remised,

Were reasons we were missed?

It hurts to know you’re none the wiser

Of the souls you had inspired

For now we know we can defend

That it does matter in the end