A SPECTRE OF A SMILE
(Words and music; Colin Reece)

From the album 'No Choice For A Beggar' by Colin Reece

A fictional story, set in medieval times, of a grieving husband and his departed wife
who returns each year on the anniversary of her death to dine with her family and friends.
The sad rule is that he may look but he may not touch.

All the present guests were seated

And the banquet had begun

And the light came shining downwards from the region of the sun

All musicians were hand chosen

And the tunes they played were low

A reminder to the heart from all those lonely nights ago.

And the atmosphere seemed easy

But as easy as it seemed

It was tight as all the strings upon a thousand violins

No-one noticed her arrival

No-one knew from when or where

Just an empty seat and then from out of nowhere she was there.

Chorus

And she was laughter

She was beauty

She was peace

And she was grace

And she capture every heart who saw her face.

Like the cat unto the sparrow

And the hunter of the deer

You may look and you may yearn but you must never go too near

But the master growing restless

And being no more than a man

Let his heart rule o'er his head and so reached out to take her hand

For she was laughter ....................

As he touched her all stood frozen

As she turned to meet his eye

Oh so tearful yet her eyes betrayed a spectre of a smile

But the law was laid for keeping

To test the weakness of the strong

And in the time it took to realise his weakness she was gone.

In all her laughter......................

Mighty oaks are known to crumble

Greater men are known to cry

Still his heart knows how her eye betrayed a spectre of a smile.