The Cross Upon the Well

[EE Rudolph]

The Cross Upon the Well

He padded by the roadside, his knapsack on a stick,
And when he saw the sign, his steps picked up to quick.
He sauntered in the driveway, looking first this way and that,
And when he reached the front door, his hand was on his hat.

He bowed so ever slightly, his coat did hardly twitch.
He asked my momma properly, "A sandwich, can I snitch?"
She bade him sit and have a rest, then hurried to the table,
A cup of soup was waiting there, 'twas earlier warmed and able.

She carried him the coffee cup, the soup was warm and steamy
And when she sat it next to him, his eyes became all dreamy.
He looked at her so carefully to check if she was real
And drank the soup most hungrily, then went into his spiel.

He told my mother where he'd been, the world he'd traveled over.
But, no where in his travels, had he found a bed of clover.
His tale was long and lonesome, all troubles pestered him,
And all the other hoboes named him Sunny Jim.

My mother asked him quietly, where he knew to go.
He told her very cordially, a sign was there to know.
She asked him very kindly, specifically to tell.
He took her out and pointed to the cross upon the well.

She led him back up to the house, a sandwich there to eat
And when he finished eating, she cleaned where he had a seat.
And moving very rapidly, she went out to the well,
And looked it over angrily as if she had a spell.

Then, again, she went inside the house, I heard her slamming doors,
Mumbling underneath her breath, 'bout people lacking mores.
Then when the mumbling did subside, she appeared like in a trance
And taking whitewash brush in hand, the well she did enhance.

As Sunny Jim was watching her, his eyes were filled with tears.
He knew he'd robbed the brotherhood of a secret through the years.
But, never in his lifetime had his conscience made a spark,
As when he saw my mother painting o'er the mark.

Then as he went upon his way, reflecting on the past;
He knew he'd built his life on things that really didn't last.
The road was long and winding, reaching around the world,
But somewhere in his travels his conscience had unfurled.

As Mother reminisced about the cross upon the well,
She thought about it carefully, ‘cause a story it would tell.
Acting very pensively, she got her paint and brush
And reinstalled the cross, no hurry and no rush.

And going back to Mother's, a visit to the well,
He learned a lesson handsomely, and started his own spell.
He found the cross awaiting as Mother had painted it,
And found his life rekindling, as he stood and thought a bit.


This is the synopsis for the play of the same name. EE Rudolph

[wickedwitch35]

Great preview... would love to see the play...

[Recordstar]

excellent rendition..