THE SHADOW GAME

Once a river flowed so slow
From bright heaven to darkest hell
On its shores I staked a claim
Loving what I saw well 

Whose banks were lush with gardens
Whose flowers burned like flame
All this beauty I thought was mine
Till I played the shadow game 

Once I loved a woman
So kind, without blame
But I played her falsely
And led her down to pain  

My dreams grew dark, I was so cruel
With night’s unfettered claim
Till I met myself in rags
Inside the shadow game 

Last night I heard her voice
In my dream’s refrain
Though her words weren’t clear to me
I thought she called my name 

I threw away all I had  
And held the world to blame
Not so very long ago  
When I played the shadow game