Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow/The River of Ruin
THE RIVER OF RUIN
ALONG by the river of ruin They dally—the thoughtless ones,They dance and they dreamBy the side of the stream,As long as the river runs.
It seems all so pleasant and cheery—No thought of the morrow is theirs,And their faces are brightWith the sun of delight,And they dream of no night-brooding cares.
The women wear garlanded tresses,The men have rings on their hands,And they sing in their glee,For they think they are free—They that know not the treacherous sands.
Ah, but this be a venturesome journey,Forever those sands are ashrift,And a step to one sideMeans a grasp of the tide,And the current is fearful and swift.
For once in the river of ruin,What boots it, to do or to dare,For down we must goIn the turbulent flow,To the desolate sea of Despair.