Descending Road - FAREWELL SONGS by Dana W. Paxson

FAREWELL SONGS

0 NC, Day 2, Hour 4

The last song was Doug‘s. He chose an old ballad, accent and all, and Miriam heard him sing in a voice at first hollow with time and loss, strengthening as other voices came in under his to lift the melody. While he sang, dancers circled each other majestically in three dimensions, hair drifting free, clothing bagged and stretched, arms and legs reaching and curving, through the dim loading bay of the lander. Miriam floated beside him, awed, wondering at him, thinking, When I hear him, the ache goes away.

A few red and green lights winked here and there among the lander‘s brown bay struts; through a small viewport, an ageless star gleamed like a beacon.

My name is Jamie Raeburn, in Glasgow I was born,

My place of habitation I’m forced to leave wi' scorn,

Frae my place of habitation it’s I must gang awa,

Far frae the bonny hills and dales of Caledonia.

It was early on one morning, just by the break of day,

The turnkey he came to us, and unto us did say,

Arise ye hapless convicts, arise ye one and all,

This is the day you are to stray from Caledonia.

We all arose, put on our clothes, our hearts were full of grief,

Our friends that stood around the coach could grant us no relief,

Our families and our sweethearts, their hearts were broke in twa,

Tae see us leave the hills and dales of Caledonia.

Doug finished with his own verse:

They clapped us in the chains of sleep, and drove us frae the Sun,

The bitter chills of blackest space near killed us every one,

But now we’ve got a new world’s light, nae mair to gang awa,

We’ll walk again the hills and dales of Caledonia.

When Doug finished, Miriam put her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her gently, for a long time.

The departure announcement broke the silence. The revelers clasped hands, hugged, and picked up their meager packs. By twos and threes and fours, they boarded the lander for the final trip, leaving behind them a few small salty globules floating here and there in the lander loading bay like tiny gleams of starlight.

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	FAREWELL SONGS 0 NC, Day 2, Hour 4 The last song was Doug‘s. He chose an old ballad, accent and all, and Miriam heard him sing in a voice at first hollow with time and loss, strengthening as other voices came in under his to lift the melody. While he sang, dancers circled each other majestically in three dimensions, hair drifting free, clothing bagged and stretched, arms and legs reaching and curving, through the dim loading bay of the lander. Miriam floated beside him, awed, wondering at him, thinking, When I hear him, the ache goes away. A few red and green lights winked here and there among the lander‘s brown bay struts; through a small viewport, an ageless star gleamed like a beacon. My name is Jamie Raeburn, in Glasgow I was born, My place of habitation I’m forced to leave wi' scorn, Frae my place of habitation it’s I must gang awa, Far frae the bonny hills and dales of Caledonia. It was early on one morning, just by the break of day, The turnkey he came to us, and unto us did say, Arise ye hapless convicts, arise ye one and all, This is the day you are to stray from Caledonia. We all arose, put on our clothes, our hearts were full of grief, Our friends that stood around the coach could grant us no relief, Our families and our sweethearts, their hearts were broke in twa, Tae see us leave the hills and dales of Caledonia. Doug finished with his own verse: They clapped us in the chains of sleep, and drove us frae the Sun, The bitter chills of blackest space near killed us every one, But now we’ve got a new world’s light, nae mair to gang awa, We’ll walk again the hills and dales of Caledonia. When Doug finished, Miriam put her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her gently, for a long time. The departure announcement broke the silence. The revelers clasped hands, hugged, and picked up their meager packs. By twos and threes and fours, they boarded the lander for the final trip, leaving behind them a few small salty globules floating here and there in the lander loading bay like tiny gleams of starlight.