"To Marry The Sea" by William A. Clayton

There was a foolish man
who walked along the Sea one day
dreaming foolish dreams
at sunset, in his foolish way
He looked at all the beauty
in the earth, the sky, the trees
and made a foolish wish
while standing in the Sea

The Queen of all the fairies heard
and laughed with pure delight
for the mortal man had opened up
his heart to her this night
She called all her children to her side
and told them of her game
as they flew or danced into the stars
she took away his name

Now the man just stood there, for a while
not knowing what to do
but he saw the fairies laughing
and he began laughing too
This made them laugh the harder
as they fell about the sky
and he thought it was so beautiful
he just stood there and he cried

His tears of joy fell downward
like the rain falls from above
and the Sea tasted his spirit
and she felt the touch of love
No matter where he traveled to
while lost in the Queen's game
the Sea followed in his footsteps
and brought with her tears of rain

The other lands cried out in torment
so thirsty they had become
for the rains were life itself to them
and the Sea, she would not come
And the flowers died of emptiness
the fruits were hard and dry
and all the peoples suffered thirst
and their pleas did fill the sky

The fairies and the stars themselves
did not know just what to do
for they were trapped within the spell
of their creation too
The Queen herself was puzzled
of a solution was unsure
for she had not known the power
of a spirit that was pure

She asked an ancient wise one
if he could undo the spell
he only smiled a smile of sadness
and said he wished her well
"You have taken more than his name,"
he said, "He is no longer whole
you must find a way to give him back
his own immortal soul..."

For years and lifetimes did he wander
clad in grey from head to toe
and though he smiled at everything
his name he did not know
A little bird came to the Queen one day
and told her what was wrong
"If you cannot bring his soul to him
then fill his heart with song..."

The Queen of fairies and her children
saw just what they had to do
and they went about creating songs
in you and you, and you
A magic spell they did create
in a kingdom by the Sea
and guided there his footsteps
and showed him wonders there to see

They watched over his sleeping form
as it rested in his bed
and all day and night they sang to him
and whispered round his head
But though he laughed and smiled
his eyes remained empty of light and life
and the Queen said, "Enough of this joy
let us fill his heart with strife!"

So the game became quite different
the man suffered both night and day
the fairies made him stumble on
in their own unique way
Only one place gave him solace
only one spot remained free
and so each day his steps were drawn
to walk along the Sea

Each time he did she came to him
each time in different form
hoping that one would please him
and that he would be reborn
For the spell of love is powerful
and is master of your heart
and true love has no real ending
and oft times does never start

The man had been touched by magic
now for eons, many times
and when you are touched by starlight
some of it remains behind
He felt inside a something
he had never felt before
and spoke two words, "I am..."
then stopped, awaiting something more

He repeated those two words
again and again, both night and day
and then inside he'd listen
for the next word he would say
For though he still looked at the world
thru the eyes of a fool
he was beginning to learn wisdom
and the fairies listened too

He began to see inside him
heard a song inside himself
and he saw that he was half mortal man
and half immortal elf
One day he woke up as if from a dream
and spoke his brand new name
"I am Will," he said to no one there
"And I love to play this game..."

He heard music coming from the waters
he danced down to her side
and when he saw the Sea was crying
he asked her to be his Bride
The Queen of fairies bade him bend a knee
and made him her own Knight
and all the fairies danced around them
forever after in delight...