A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media: First Person

Eden Bypassed
by Wayne Majors
February 28, 2007

It was always there to see
But til now, I never saw
The sunlight shining through the trees
In the mist of early dawn,
Leaves frolicking from tree to lake,
The gentle circles that are born
As the mirrored surface breaks
In the first light of the morn.
It was always there to see
But 'til now I never saw,
I didn't have the time.

It was always there to hear
But 'til now, I never heard
The chorus bright and full of cheer
Of a dozen laughing birds,
The sound of nuts as they are hurled
Into a rustling leafy bed,
Winter's food for a hungry squirrel,
These joyous sounds now fill my head.
They were always there to hear
But 'til now I never heard,
I didn't have the time.

It was always there to take
But 'til now, I never took
The cool fresh breeze from o'er the lake,
The giggling water in the brook.
It's all I need to bring me joy,
To fill my heart with love's sweet peace,
To turn me back from man to boy
And end my search for golden fleece.
It was always there to take
But 'til now I never took,
I didn't have the time.

It was always here to live
But few have found the time for life.
I pray this age will want to give
The next age peace and joy, not strife.
I pray we'll keep the leaves and trees,
The lakes and the nuts and the squirrel,
The singing birds, the gentle breeze,
For the youth of a future world.
Pray life will still be here to live,
And they will have the time.
About the author:
I'm a retired pastor, married 40 years to Sharon (a retired special education teacher). She plays bass and I play guitar and we do music and humor programs for churches and other groups. I've written poetry for many years, for my own enjoyment and expression.