While in the form of the owl
The goose and the wren left the shores of Maryland
To find better oxygen while the outcry of twenty men
Run from the nearby battalion as if we avoid their light
Then we might make it home tonight

And one old crook [unverified]
Carries a very heavy book
Friends would say
'Sir, are you sure some good could come of your learning?'

And he said, 'My girl gave it to me just before the war
I've never read a book like this before
It's giving me kind of a kind of a burning'

But if it is love then I'm not quite sure if I should keep it
But I've heard it's apart of the whole so I guess I need it
But I'll certainly be sure to stay above the ground
Lately beautiful things got a way of bringing me down

Here lie one hundred men, fighters every one of them
They went into the light and, oh, no they won't be home tonight
And I came upon a kid with a kite
Despite the storms said he's going to fly
So I said, 'Brother, what would your mother say?'

And he said, 'Hold your tongue, it was a present
And God damn I am a man, I ain't afraid of the rain'

But what can a bystander do?
No more than watch the spidery lights take a hold of you
'But you know I warned you, boy, you know I told you, boy
I'll hold you back, boy but now I don't know
But cause in a curious kind of way
I want to grow along with you'

And morning did come, I was standing struck dumb
By a dead man in the sun
And the only live one held a string from his thumb
That stretched up to the sky
Where the heron flew by singing, 'Oh me and, oh my'

And the goose and the wren
No I have not seen them but the water looks nice
So I do not think twice
And I'm sure that they're fine
Very good friends of mine

'Cause sometimes I can't tell when things are unwell
By the look of the sea, staring straight back at me
And I miss him, I do but I think it is true
That when the love go, it's the lovers who show
Just how lonely they are in a song or a scar

Sincerely your friend, write back to me wren
I've been thinking too much down here in the sand

The farmer stands and says, 'What happened to the land?
It used to be fertile
It used to be good, when I was a lad'
The farmer calls out to this men says
'It's getting late boys, it's best you come back in'