Cruel Blessing from Skybound by Octavia McAloon

Look, I don’t want you to forgive me, I don’t expect you to understand.
But I’ll try to tell the troubles that were fated in the lines that here lie etched into my hands.
A village low on grain, followed by the year we were abandoned by the rains.
As some would pray for mercy, for the harvest, others, well we found a faster way.
And these bargains are never cheap.

They asked for food for all the hungry, so the hungry had to be lessened.
A plague tore through the people, fulfilling this cruel blessing. (oh my love)
Then it came to him, came to my husband.

Oh my love, I won’t let it take you, I won’t let it take you, I won’t let it take you.

I made a choice, there was no chance for any other way.
There was no path I would not take or price I wouldn’t pay.
And these bargains are never cheap; they chose this first.

It needs a body. Well, that’s easy enough.
And it worked, and he was better, and stayed that way some time,
But soon enough the plague returned with all its telltale signs.

So I culled another.

Oh my love, I won’t let it take you, I won’t let it take you, I’d trade them all for you, I’d trade them all for you.

Years and years went by and I stopped counting lives;
It makes it easier to forget all their cries,
But louder still they’d grow with one solution I could find;
I gave it mine.

Oh my love, I won’t let it take you, I won’t let it take you,
I gave myself for you, I gave myself for you.

No rest for the wicked, my soul was bound;
I guard the harvest through the culling of their town.

• Folk
• atmospheric
• dream folk
• singer songwriter
• Seattle