catharine had a calling in the woods   a secret spring that she knew well   she chased a man whose knowledge was mistaken   that his only weakness was the one she held      catherine, who misused the gift of sight,   was the woman on the hill   a will o’ the wisp who held vigils through the night   who tracked him down to town against his will      chorus:   and all he could change she changed as well   anywhere he'd hide she would find   the riddle she made she held the answer   'til he cursed the name of catharine to the wind      came the day when he traveled to the city   found a room above the stairs   the sleepless nights when the shapes and signs   would haunt him   at the answer to the riddle he would stare      now riddle me this: of a tree that is no tree   riddle me that: it is high yet low   when leaves are brown in the autumn it is green   and it heals though it poisons where it grows      catharine took a job in the city   selling apples on the street   she bid her time seeking solace in winter   she knew the time would come when they wonld meet      tired of riddles she had welcomed her prey   through the hallway to her room   the paint was peeling leaving red on the rug   where all she gained remained the same to lose      catharine slowly loosened her hold   to let him breathe and he fled again   to sow the wind she had given up control   to sow the storm she had wed the light and rain      and so in time he returned to the fold   with an answer upon his lips:   a heart cannot be protected from weakness   and on christmas eve betrayed her with a kiss