THE BALLAD OF ST. ANNE'S REEL
(by David Mallett)

He was stranded in a tiny town on fair Prince Edward Island
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
A one horse place, a friendly face, some coffee and a tiny trace
Of fiddling in the distance far behind him

.............

Now the sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's setting there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
Some empty chairs, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more
Awaiting for the dancers to come back

And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
The strings are broke, the bow is gone and the cover's buttoned down
But sometimes on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is right
There's a melody that passes through the town.

Digital Tradition