A Year and a Day - Grace Cappella

My brother embarked for the port of Bombay
He said, “I'll be back in a year and a day.”
I waved my farewell, I whispered a prayer,
Wished that once more he would tousle my hair;
“Bring him back, bring him back,” pleaded I of the sea,
Return thou my brother to me, to me,
Return thou my brother to me.”

All through the summer I minded the house,
Mother was ill; the cat caught not a mouse
Then a letter arrived from him, brightened my day,
He wrote he was well and halfway to Bombay.
I gazed at the waves and repeated my plea,
“Return thou my brother to me, to me,
Return thou my brother to me.”

When in Autumn a ship did come in, flag half-mast,
I trembled for fear that cruel Death had flown past.
A sailor, cap off and downcast at our door—
Then—“Annie, thy brother is, sadly, no more.”
I said it can't be and ran down to the sea;
“Return thou my brother to me, to me,
Return thou my brother to me!”

As time went on I heard more of the tale:
A captain had seen him go down in a gale.
No survivors; to that he could surely attest,
But it could not extinguish hope's fire in my breast!
Not a day let I pass without voicing my plea:
“Return thou my brother to me, O sea,
Return thou my brother to me!”

I waited and watched though the snow did fly,
Recalled his last whisper, embrace, his goodbye,
Stared toward the horizon till my eyes grew sore
Then walked home, in despair, to my room, shut the door.
And once more did I offer my plea to the sea:
“Return thou, I charge thee, my brother to me!
Return thou my brother to me!”

Wild winter swept by and became a warm spring
Still kept I my vigil, though hope was fading.
Folks called me crazy and bade me forget,
But I couldn't give up, I just couldn't—not yet.
Resuming my plea, I did beg of the sea,
“Return thou my brother to me, to me,
Return thou my brother to me!”

Twelve months it had been; he had but one day left
'Fore I would believe truly he'd gone adrift.
Once more did I strain to catch sight of his ship,
But it did not appear, and my hopes took a dip.
For the last time I offered my plea to the sea,
“Return thou my brother to me, to me,
Please return thou my brother to me.”

All night I kept tryst on the shore of the bay
Till the stars faded out at the breaking of day,
And there was his ship! He was back from Bombay!
He'd returned, as promised, in a year and a day!
I gasped in surprise, I danced in my glee,
“O sea, you have brought back my brother to me!
You have brought back my brother to me!”

As soon as they anchored he rushed out to me,
Embraced me as when he'd first left for the sea—
“I've returned, as I said, in a year and a day!
Why then dost thou look at me fearfully, pray?”
I replied, “I had heard you were lost in the sea,
Yet I hoped every day that thee'd come back to me,
That thou wouldst return unto me.”

The village still slept; not a sound broke the peace
But our whispers and muffled steps in booted feet.
I could not contain my great joy anymore;
With a shout I proclaimed as we reached our own door:
“My brother is back, he is back from the sea!
The sea has returned my own brother to me!
At last he's returned unto me!”