IT WAS A TATTERED LACE HANKY
YELLOWED NOW WITH AGE,
SHE'D PLACED IT THERE IN HER BIBLE
THE REASON WRITTEN ON A CERTAIN PAGE.

SHE CARRIED IT TO CHURCH
IN HER BIBLE EVERY SUNDAY,
IT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HER
BY HER HUSBAND RAY.

JUST A GIRL WHEN SHE MARRIED
BACK IN EIGHTEEN SIXTY-TWO,
SHE HAD BEEN SO HAPPY
AS THEY STOOD THERE SAYING "I DO."

THEN WAR CAME T0 THE SOUTH
RAY DECIDED TO GO AWAY,
HE LOOKED SO HANDSOME
RIDING ON HIS GRAY HORSE THAT DAY.

SHE WAS BARELY SIXTEEN
HE WAS SEVENTEEN - A MITE OLDER,
TOLD HIS DAD - HE'D PROTECT THE PLANTATION
HE WAS A REBEL - A BIT BOLDER.

SHE STOOD THERE ON THE STEPS
WISHING HE WOULD NOT GO,
SHE ASKED GOD TO WATCH OVER HIM
BRING HI BACK HOME IN A MONTH OR SO.

SHE CRIED MOST EVERY NIGHT
USING THE HANKY TO DRY HER TEARS,
WHEN SHE HEARD THE WAGON COME
SHE KNEW TH ANSWER TO HER FEARS.

YES, WHEN RAY DID RETURN
THEY HAD TO PLACE HIM IN THE GROUND,
NEIGHBORS CAME FROM FAR AND NEAR
KINFOLKS GATHERED ALL AROUND.

NOW SHE WAS SAD AND ALONE
A YOUNG GIRL GROWING OLD,
THE VERSE IN THE BIBLE
THE SCRIPTURE MUST BE TOLD.

IN ECCLESIASTES THE BIBLE SAYS
"A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE,"
GOD HAD CHOSEN THIS BRAVE YOUNG SOLDIER
SO NO USE FOR HER TO CONTINUE TO CRY.

RAY WANTED TO GO FIGHT THE YANKEES
MAKE THEM LEAVE THAT VERY DAY,
BUT WE ALL KNOW THE CIVIL WAR STORY
FOR TWO MORE YEARS THEY CONTINUED TO STAY.

SHE SLEPT WITH THAT SOILED HANKY
HER COMPANION EVERY NIGHT,
HER YOUNG HUSBAND HAD LEFT HER
FOR A CAUSE HE BELIEVED WAS RIGHT.

THIS ONCE LOVELY YOUNG LADY
HOLDING HER SWEETHEART'S HAND,
HAD TO GIVE HIM UP FOREVER
SHED HIS BLOOD FIGHTING FOR SOUTHERN LAND.

EMILY IN NOW EIGHTY-TWO
SHE IS GROWING OLD,
SO WHEN SHE DEPARTS THIS LIFE
IN HER HAND THE HANKY SHE WILL HOLD.

Written....July 29, 2008

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