The Other Half of the Woods
The Other Half of the Woods (Poem)
Walking through a wooded glen
I came across a glade
And in that glade I found a hut
Where lived an old, old maid
“Hello,” I said, “May I come in?”
My hand still on the door
She looked at me with softened eyes
That soon fell to the floor.
The dusty table, set for two
Had nothing on the plates
And in-between them, tears of wax
Long-hardened in their place
“I knew one day you’d find me here;
The decades were so long.
But since Day One, my heart’s been yours
Here waiting all along.”
“I think you’ve me, mistaken, Miss,
We’ve never met before.
With due respect, I’m much too young
To’ve been yours to adore.”
Over to a drawer she walked
Where sat a tiny mirror
And when she placed it in my hand
I saw my face appear
A weathered face looked back at me
With wrinkles deep and long
The youth I swore I entered with
Had quickly come and gone
“I’m the one that God had made
to love you all your life
To be your rock when times were hard
Your soulmate, and your wife.
Instead you searched for other things
That weren’t as deep as love
Defined success in empty ways
Than that sent from above
But darling, now our time is up;
We’ve only minutes left;
If only you had looked for me
Than wand’ring life bereft
for all the things to fill the void
When found life’s meaning lost
It breaks my heart you went your life
Still searching at such cost.”
- A. J. Darkholme (April 2015)
Listen to “The Other Half of the Woods” on YouTube today!
The Other Half of the Woods (Lyrics)
[Intro]
Ohhhhh-ohhh-Ohhhhhhhh-OHH-oooooh
[Verse 1]
If we just stopped to take a breath
We'd look around and see what's left
Is insufficient to sustain real life
I mean, sure, we live
But I say, "At what price?"
[Bridge]
For the loneliest ones
Our soul sits and stares
As we go through the motions
And shed secret tears
'Cause we're meant to be paired
Exactly where
Our thoughts and our feelings
Can finally be shared
With the ones who accept us
Where we all can repair
Our broken internals
Born from concrete jungles
That make our souls feel bare
So I left it behind
[Verse 2]
I walked into the woods one day
I tried to find my peace
But the clouds were circling
And I thought
"Whatever, does it ever cease?"
Then I took off my watch
And then threw the time-piece
As far in the woods
To where I couldn't see
[Breakdown]
How can we feel free?
When all we think that we need
To be in society
Is actually
What takes us out at the knees
And stunts all our growth
From what we could truly be?
[Chorus]
On tables set for two
When dust covers the plates
And candles cry in silence
Where true love sits and waits
Don't let your reservations
Convince you there's still time
To make it there
And find your chair
You'll soon be past your prime
[Verse 3]
I walked on for hours
Then hours some more
Til I came upon a tiny hut
That had a faded door
Its ivy crept high
And left me wondering why
That place had been waiting there
And so I applied
A soft, gentle knock
To which, at first, there was no reply
But then the door opened
And there in the frame
Stood a beautiful woman, albeit, an old maid
“May I come in?” I then softly asked
And when I looked in her eyes
My soul felt unmasked
She nodded slowly
Her eyes fell low
She sighed and said,
"My love... you missed the afterglow."
[Chorus]
On tables set for two
When dust covers the plates
And candles cry in silence
Where true love sits and waits
Don't let your reservations
Convince you there's still time
To make it there
And find your chair
You'll soon be past your prime
[Verse 4]
"I think you are mistaken, Miss;
We’ve never met before.”
Then she walked across the creaking floor
And opened up a drawer
She placed a mirror in my hands
And when I looked into its glass
I felt the entire world collapse...
I was struck with fear
The mirror'd gone clear
The man looking back at me
He slowly disappeared
A weathered man stared in his place
He looked at me with tired, hollow eyes
And every road I thought I chose
I knew right then was built on lies
[Chorus]
On tables set for two
When dust covers the plates
And candles cry in silence
Where true love sits and waits
Don't let your reservations
Convince you there's still time
To make it there
And find your chair
You'll soon be past your prime
[Verse 5]
She said, “You traded love for lesser things
For silent trophies that do not sing
You chose the silence, not the fire
That warms the heart, and gives true power
The real warmth, where you're most admired
Is not out there where "love" expires
But with the ones, where you feel inspired
My love
You chose the flame
And not the bonfire."
[Bridge]
I searched for gold, the brightest lights
I chased the highs, with my whole life
I thought success would make me whole
But now I know
I sold my soul to keep control
[Chorus]
On tables set for two
When dust covers the plates
And candles cry in silence
Where true love sits and waits
Don't let your reservations
Convince you there's still time
To make it there
And find your chair
You'll soon be past your prime
[Outro]
So if you walk the woods one day
And find a glade like mine
Don’t pass it by, don’t look away
'Cause hearts don’t wait in line…