Sally and Barnaby

Written September 7, 1999

Barnaby Jay Lancaster McGee
Longing for his life
Sailed his boat out to sea
And left behind his wife.

It seems that he had had enough
He headed for the door
Married life was dull and rough
It seems he wanted more-

A sigh of love, a tender kiss,
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years ahead.


Sally Simpson Jones McGee
Was stuck behind in Main.
She saw red as red could be
And then she went insane.

“I’ll kill that man!” she raised her fist
And shook it in the air.
And she went on to make a list
Of what she thought was fair.

“I’ll put a spider in his shoe,
With deadly venom black.
I’ll put a tiger in his room
And watch the beast attack!

“No, no, too quick. It seems to me
This man deserves much more
I’ll drug his wine and while he sleeps
I’ll creep in through his door

“I’ll tie his arms and legs up tight
And wait for him to wake
Then I”ll begin to skin all night
And from his skin I’ll make


“A lamp shade or a pocket purse
And on his bloody meat
I’ll poor—just to make it worse—
A bit of salt—how sweet!”

It seems that she had had enough
She waited at the door
He wanted rough? She’d give him rough!
And yet she wanted more—

A sigh of love, a tender kiss,
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years ahead.


But Barnaby did not return
And so her anger grew
As she began to fume and burn
Her vow she would renew.

And since the sailor’s wouldn’t take
A wench like her from land
The sailing ship that she would take
Was built by her own hand.

Across the sea this salt sea hag
Would wind and doldrum see
In her beaten bark with a sail of rag
To search for old McGee.

The sea was hard, but the sea was good
The sea was full of light.
It toned her flesh, and lack of food
Made Sally’s figure slight.

There’s something about the awesome sea
That moved upon her soul
And made her happy just to be--
Somehow it made her whole.

The sea alone was just enough--
The threshold of a door
To a gentle world that wasn’t rough
A world that gave her more--

A sigh of love, a tender kiss
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years a head.


Then one day a storm did shake
The timber of her mast
And belly up the bark would break
And in the sea did cast

Poor Sally, who would try to swim
The ocean tempest tossed.
And Sally wept for wanting of him—
The man that she had lost.

She wondered then, as all went black
Why had she really come?
Did she want to slap him back
For all that he had done?

Or did she want him back again
Ah, was it hate or love
That made her fight the wind and rain
To find his hidden cove?

She closed her eyes. She’d had enough
And passing through a door
Found the sea no longer rough
But found there something More—

A sigh of love, a tender kiss,
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years ahead.


Barnaby Jay Lancaster McGee
Went walking on the shore
And thought, how lonely it could be--
This paradise was poor.

For all its beauty, his island life
Made him think of her
Whom he had taken up as wife
And how he didn’t bother

To talk with her or find a way
To help her heal her heart
Or was it him? He couldn’t say
Just how those wars would start.

Then something on the beach ahead
Where sea and wind had laid
With lovely limbs and hair of red
He saw a comely maid.

He did not know the girl that lay
Asleep upon the sand,
Had shared with him his wedding day
And wore his wedding band.

He picked her up and took her home
And placed her on his bed
And while she slept he took a comb
To comb that hair of red.

Sally woke but showed it not,
Pretending that she slept
To hear her husband’s private thought
And what his heart had kept.

“I think that I would love this maid
But for my wedding vow.”
He spoke as he undid her braid.
“And I only wonder how

“A maid as beautiful as this
Should come out of the sea
It makes me think that I do miss
The kiss of my Sally.


“I regret the day I’d had enough
And walked out of that door
This lonesome life is very rough
And Sally offered more—

“A sigh of love, a tender kiss
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years ahead."


If any hate at all remained
In Sally’s heart that day
Then love came in, as if it rained,
And washed all hate away.

“It’s me! It’s me!” she said, “It’s Me!”
She turned and grabbed his head.
“I’m Sally Simpson Jones McGee!”
She pulled him to the bed.”

And pulled him down on top of her
That she might kiss the face,
And kiss again her old lover
That made her heart once race.

But now the racing of her heart
Came from a deeper place--
Deep, deep down in the deepest part
From endless time and space

The well of love, true and strong
Came flooding through her soul
With a well of tears that came along
Which helped to make her whole.

And Barnaby could not believe
It was his own dear wife.
Then saw that she did not deceive
But gave him back his life.

To live with her upon this land
This island in the sea
To walk with her and hold her hand
Was bliss for him. And He

Loved her then as ne’er before.
He loved her with the fire
That melts the gold out from the ore
The flame of pure desire.

So Patrick and his Sally fair
Forgave the years gone by
Those wasted years all cold and bare--
Released them with a sigh--

A sigh of love, a tender kiss,
A happy lover’s bed
Where lovers sleep in happiness
And dream of years ahead.