ZYANYA

in a land known as zyanya there's a river that divides

divided more, the tribes at war, that dwell on either side
yet no one can remember why the seeds of hate were strewn
how can peace and love occur when folks create a heart of stone ?

on the western shores lived micah who was war-like in his stance
on the eastern cliffs, lived amethyst, who loved to sing and dance
though they lived their lives quite separate, both were desperate to find love
but it always was denied by fickle gods that reigned above

on the west shore lived a wizard by the name of marcasite
beryl was his only daughter, she was plain and not too bright
but a wizard has great power and with just one magic word
she could have the full attention of the man that she preferred

so when beryl first saw micah, she admired his looks and voice
and she ran to tell her father she had made her final choice
and so micah was enchanted and he ran to beryl's side
and he fell down on one knee and asked her if she'd be his bride

one day micah was out rowing on the river, deep and wide
and he heard a sweet flute playing from across the other side
as the serenade was ringing, birds were singing harmonies
and he turned his oars to eastern shores, in curiosity

in a glade, the maid was playing in the early morning mist
twas the first time he laid eyes upon the lovely amethyst
the music that she weaved caused micah's heart to pound and swell
and it managed to unravel marcasite's unwanted spell

and micah knew that amethyst must one day be his bride
he mattered not to him that she was from the other side
when amethyst looked through the mist and saw him standing near
sunlight parted like a curtain and her future was made clear

although she knew he was the fruit of the forbidden land
she knew her heart could never rest until he was her man
and on that morn a bridge was born twixt those unfriendly shores
a love to last beyond the ages, now and evermore

every day at dawn he rowed across the river blue
following the sound of her sweet flute to guide him through
purer than a sonnet any bird had ever sung
and this became their language for they spoke in different tongues

beryl quickly noticed that she'd lost her spellbound man
and she followed him one morning to that quite forbidden land
the visions that she saw there made her turn her back and flee
her eyes afire, her heart enraged, consumed in jealousy

she sought out her dear father and informed him of her plight
he surely loved his daughter and resolved to make things right
so the wizard made a morning journey to the misty glade
following the music that sweet amethyst had made

he greeted her by name and then he kissed her on the hand
she turned into a stone and lay there silent in the sand
he turned his back and strode away, his evil day's work done
and rowed away back to his land as rising was the sun

when micah made his way to shore he frowned and looked around
he stumbled on her flute which lay so lonesome on the ground
he knew it was a part of her that she would not just toss
his face was buried in his hands as he perceived his loss

he sat there all the afternoon until the sun had set
her flute in hand in hopes that she would grace the place they met
but as the moon begin to rise it turned a sullen blue
he took this as a sign that any chance for love was through

the brokenhearted micah rowed back home to ponder life
as a lonely loveless man who had already lost his wife
beryl tried her best to reach him but at last twas clear to her
that his heart was gone forever, something magic couldn't cure

so she turned to her dear father, begged him to revoke his curse
but her father sadly shook his head, twas no way to reverse
and beryl cried in shame, she knew now love cannot be won
her father bowed his head and wondered just what could be done

the next day he returned to where he'd dropped that sacred stone
had it fashioned as a necklace that was polished till it shone
bade beryl to deliver it to micah as a gift
and through the stone into his heart sweet memories would sift

and micah felt the comfort as it rested on his breast
he never knew the reason why the stone seemed to be blessed
when war broke out between the tribes, proud micah took his place
twas in the heat of battle when an enemy took chase

an arrow struck his bosom , he was thrown back off his steed
and he struck the ground unconscious as his chest began to bleed
then he had a lovely vision of the woman he had lost
with her lips on flute a-blowing as her hair in wind was tossed

when his eyes grew slowly open, he sat up and looked around
he could still hear her sweet music from the stone flung to the ground
for the arrow pierced the stone and a small aperture was made
and the zephyr blowing through it made a gentle serenade

and he realized the spirit of his love was trapped inside
so he grasped it in his hand and to the wizard he did ride
and he finally learned the story how his woman turned to stone
and never could be brought to life as living flesh and bone

he knew that she was trapped inside the stone eternally
when he asked if he could join her, marcasite said "it shall be"
and the wizard cast a spell and micah too became a stone
and he melted them together so they would not be alone

and the finished stone was heart shaped, as to represent their love
and then tossed into the river as the gods shed tears above
and the stone emitted music which was heard by both the tribes
they put down their deadly weapons when they heard the loving vibes

and they learned to love each other, there was peace forevermore
if you travel to zyanya take a walk along the shore
you can hear the gentle music as it rises from the deep
it is micah and his amethyst in their eternal sleep