A song about deviance and how we pass it on to our children. Not good or bad—just different.

The story comes down through the reaches of time
Rocked by the rhythms of tides
Of all the souls who are led by fate
To sleep with the moon in their eyes
Some are found standing naked at dawn
Blinded by pale morning light
As the moon fades away, she bestows her gift
Leaving this new kind of sight
Druids and shamans, witches and fools
The misfit and malcontent
The howl of the madman, the cry of the saint
In tune with the earth’s lament

They are taken by the light of the moon, never to come back the same
Taken by the light of the moon
The kiss of God or the mark of Cain
Taken by the light of the moon

What is the cost of this heavenly gift?
What is the price one pays?
To see all the world with these new found eyes
What does the soul give away?
It’s a lonely profession, a strain on the heart
To be driven by what no one else sees
And no matter how close, you still stand apart
With a vision of what might be
It’s an awfully long road, a suffering time
A cup that you’d like to pass by
And just when you’re safe, and sleep finally comes
You’re awakened by you own cries

To be taken by the light of the moon, never to come back the same
Taken by the light of the moon
The kiss of God or the mark of Cain
Taken by the light of the moon

Wandering the hallways late one night
I came to my boy’s bed
The curtains pulled back for a whisper of breeze
Let the full moon shine down on his head
I looked down on that sleeping face
And wondered where my path lay
Do I draw the curtain? Do I stand back?
Do I let the moon have her way?
Do I lead him down an easier path?
Do I shield the light from his eyes?
Or do I give him up to the gift that she brings
As she sails through the midnight sky?

To be taken by the light of the moon, never to come back the same
Taken by the light of the moon
The kiss of God or the mark of Cain
Taken by the light of the moon

© Bill Harley, all rights reserved. Reprints with permission only.