He took her hands, he stole her lands Branded her for living Cast aside and vilified No sign of forgiving So give her back her magpie wings They taught her how to steal and sing Instead he clipped and had her whipped She was left to wander sinning He crushed her pride and stole her sight She was left to travel blind And stumble past the dead and done Fortune mocking at her side So give her back her raven eyes The only way she knows to cry As silent tears roll to her chest Where she longs for those who died He cut her tongue, took all she'd sung Words she spoke when she was young The words they whispered down the dale Words she swore to never fail So give her back her starling song Over winters she's passed on To sing to fledglings flying nests Secrets kept and carried on With air and earth and water crowned To ashes buried underground She holds no place in this disgrace Liminal yet duty bound The heron brings the swan will take Harbour secrets never found So give her back her heron's beak So she can reach what lies beneath Forever never feather crowned She'll be waiting quietly