Effigy in the Stubble - Electric Bard & Ned Loh

Tie the dry barley with garden string Making a friend out of summer waste Old bowler hat from a long-lost king Planted on top with a bit of haste We drag the scarecrow through the dirt Children run circles around the knees Dressed in a brother’s discarded shirt Dancing away in the harvest breeze Nobody thinks of a darker dread Watching the ribbons of red unwind Making a smiling, ridiculous head Leaving the worries of year behind Drag the effigy toward the pyre Not out of anger and not for fright Clearing the briars to build a fire Bringing a warming and friendly light Mistress Higgins brings cider cups Arthur is laughing beside the gate Even the sleepy farm terrier pups Bark at the bonfire and celebrate We watch the sparks take a sudden leap Painting the hedge with a pumpkin flash Waking the countryside out of sleep Shaking the gray from the winter ash Bundle the rye. Scatter the weed. Save all the oats. Cherish the seed. Sweep up the patch. Strike on the spark. Welcome the twilight that chases the dark. Burn The Dry Straw In The Evening Air Singing Together Without A Care Clear Out The Field For The Coming Spring Welcoming Sunshine And Everything Sparks fly upward, brighten the lane Nothing to lose but the winter pain The flames settle low to a peaceful red Warm on the jacket and warm on the cheek Nothing remains of the straw-man head Only the hopeful tomorrow we seek We pack up the baskets and head for home Under an open and starry dome Spark in the ash. Stars in the sky. Wave the old year a cheerful goodbye.