The whole audience was moved
A chill froze their blood
Fanning their old memories
Excited for my song
Except for someone
Who remained impassive
♪
In the dead hush
Mary Jane rushed from the stage
She appeared again running among the audience
And dashed up to Lady Birmingham
♪
She had a distant heart
Dead and empty of art
Unfeeling and weary
In a blink of an eye
I ripped out my soul
With a mighty fury
And she clutched at her left breast a little above the heart
And there was the soul
Shining in her hand
With the green and blue lights going round and round
And the purple flare in the midst
♪
Oh! Take my soul
Look it's a pretty soul
And then you will hear the wind
Bringing the Song of the Rushes
Oh! Take my soul
Noble and flaming soul
And then you will understand
That music keeps hidden answers
♪
Oh! Take my soul
Because for me it's a burden
Now keep it close to your heart
And then it will live forever
I'm finally free
The world is big again
I will return to my home
And I will dance more than ever
♪
Lady Birmingham took the soul in her hand
She half-closed her eyes, and said 'Unberufen'
Then she put the soul to her left breast a little above the heart
And hoped that the people would sit down and the singer go away
Instantly a heap of clothes collapsed before her
♪
Those who were born in the dusk hour
Might have seen
A little brown thing
Leaping free from the clothes
Then it sprang into the bright light of the hall
And became invisible to any human eye
Then it went due north-eastwards
Leaping from roof to roof
Till at last the good black trees came into view
With their demoniac shapes in the night
And the grass was cold and wet
And the night-mist floated over it
And it heard there the shout of the North Wind
Who was dominant and angry
And came again to some old perilous pool
Where the soft green mosses grew
And there plunged downward and downward
Into the dear dark water
Till it felt the homely ooze once more coming up between its toes
Thence, out of the lovely chill that is in the heart of the ooze
It arose renewed and rejoicing to dance upon the image of the stars