The Heart of the Wood

© 1997 W. Scott "Cosmo" Snyder
All rights reserved.

In a small quiet village, built next to the trees
Lived a hard working shepherd and his family of three
His wife was a beauty, his sixteen-year bride
And their bright red-haired daughter, with crystal green eyes

The girl's name was Arwyn, and into the wood
She'd wander much farther than she knew she should
And her parents would warn her that she should not roam
And they'd tell her dark stories to keep her at home

   The woods are dark and the woods are mean
   Where spirits and monsters await you unseen
   To chase you and catch you and steal you away
   To a place where you'll never again see the day
   Beware the heart of the wood
   Beware the heart of the wood

She heard all the stories, but still she would go
Deep into the forest, on trails unknown
She felt something calling, pulling her near
Too kind to know caution, too brave to feel fear

As she walked through the forest, she talked with the trees
She learned of their history, their wants and their needs
She sang to the creatures, their names she did know
Each time going farther, before turning for home

   The woods are dark and the woods are mean
   Where spirits and monsters await you unseen
   To chase you and catch you and steal you away
   To a place where you'll never again see the day
   Beware the heart of the wood
   Beware the heart of the wood

Her parents were fearful, when she'd go away
And they'd call and search for her, throughout the long day
They'd work at their labours, their hearts filled with dread
'Til they'd hear Arwyn singing,—see her crimson-haired head

They'd hug her and hold her, their arms 'round her tight
And look with suspicion at the woods in the night
But the forest still called her, she could not understand
Why her good-hearted parents feared so much from the land

   The woods are dark and the woods are mean
   Where spirits and monsters await you unseen
   To chase you and catch you and steal you away
   To a place where you'll never again see the day
   Beware the heart of the wood
   Beware the heart of the wood

She tried to obey them, and at home she did stay
But the forest sang louder with each passing day
She heard it sing "Arwyn, please head my call
And come to me before the leaves start to fall..."

Then one night it happened, she awoke with a start
With an urgent clear singing that pulled at her heart
Moving through the darkness, as quick as she could
She followed the singing towards the heart of the wood

   The woods are dark and the woods are mean
   Where spirits and monsters await you unseen
   To chase you and catch you and steal you away
   To a place where you'll never again see the day
   Beware the heart of the wood
   Beware the heart of the wood

She followed her heart-song, growing more and more bold
'Til she reached a huge Oak that was gnarled and old
At the foot of that Oak tree, sat a silver-haired girl
More lovely than any she'd seen in the world

The girl said "Now, Arwyn, I'm glad that you came
I've been waiting for you for many long days
It seems that this season is surely my last
There is much here to teach you, so we must work fast

   The woods are strong and the woods grow green
   With magic and wonder that's seldom been seen
   But they need a heart, to get through their days
   And I am the Dryad that sings them the way
   I am the heart of the wood
   I am the heart of the wood

My tree it is dying, it's lived many long years
And you are the answer to our hopes and our fears
For you are a Dryad, you are one of my own
And I'm telling you now that it's time to come home

I left you with the shepherd, he is a good man
So you'd learn of the humans and their ties to the land
But now your wood needs you, and the time it draws near
When you'll sing to the forest, it's your voice they'll hear

   The woods are strong and the woods grow green
   With magic and wonder that's seldom been seen
   But they need a heart, to get through their days
   And I am the Dryad that sings them the way
   I am the heart of the wood
   I am the heart of the wood

Arwyn learned quickly, for she knew in her heart
That the story was true, and she would play her part
She learned all the songs that the forest did know
And she learned of the patterns of the wind and the snow

She found a young oak tree where she would now live
Born of an acorn that the old tree did give
As the old Dryad passed away into her old friend
She said "The Cycle of Life now begins as it ends"

   The woods are strong and the woods grow green
   With magic and wonder that's seldom been seen
   But they need a heart, to get through their days
   Now you are the Dryad that sings them the way
   You are the heart of the wood
   You are the heart of the wood

Months had now passed, and Arwyn was gone
The shepherd and mother still grieved for their own
Then one night in the springtime, in the still cool night air
A vision came to them, with crimson red hair

She said do not worry, for I am still near
You've no need for sorrow, you've no need for fear
I am part of the wood, in the trees, in the air
Just come to the forest, you'll find me there

   The woods are strong and the woods grow green
   With magic and wonder that's seldom been seen
   But they need a heart, to get through their days
   And I am the Dryad that sings them the way
   I am the heart of the wood
   I am the heart of the wood

Back to top of page