Farewell Alexandra, the tide’s coming in
On the song of the blackbirds above and within
You know I don’t heed where my feet have been trapped
The world is just oceans and homes on a map
And the wild wind, it calls me to dance ‘round again
Where one dance is finished, let another begin
If we stand by the beaches, we can both see across
But farewell Alexandra, the waves are calling, and I must not get lost.
Farewell Alexandra, the birds will still sing
When I follow them northward by foot or by wing
The pines will still bend ‘neath the all-seeing breeze
And you’ll be in debt to the same earth as me
The sun will keep shining on forest or bay
But farewell Alexandra, the wind is calling, and I cannot stay.
Farewell Alexandra, the grass will still grow
And the sun will still shine on wherever I go
The railroads will whistle, the cars will pass by
The clouds will still draw their designs on the sky
We’ll see them apart, and that scares you, I know
But farewell Alexandra, the road is calling, and I must go
Emily Karreman is a fourth-year student with majors in History and Russian and minors in Spanish and Global Studies.