I've now got the words to Touch Us Gently, thanks to Eve Goldberg who found it in a collection of songs that her late mother, my dear friend Sue Goldberg, used to lead. Sue was at the very heart of the folk music community in Toronto until her death this past June.

TOUCH US GENTLY (from the Star of Bethlehem, Dayton, VA, 1882)
Additional verses by Ian Bell and Kate Murphy)

In the spring of early years
Touch us gently, gently time (refrain)
With its budding hopes and fears
Touch us gently time (refrain)

CHORUS: Gently, gently, touch us gently, gently time
Gently, gently, touch us gently time

Let the summer sun and rain
Refrain
Make us grow as grows the grain
Refrain

Chorus

In the autumn's lonely grief
Refrain
Fading light and falling leaves
Refrain

Chorus

As the twilight o'er us creeps
Refrain
We are weary let us sleep
Refrain

Chorus

In the summer's warming light
Refrain
Long the day and short the night
Refrain

Chorus