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Relics of a Distant Past

History's Mysteries

"A ruin should always be protected but never repaired—thus may we witness full the lingering legacies of the past."
- Walter Scott
Rich Coffey ยท Relics of a Distant Past
written and recorded - June 2023
© Richard Coffey - All Rights Reserved

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Relics of a Distant Past
by Rich Coffey

Crumbling mills, dams and rock foundations
Abandoned long ago
Mystery shrouds each moss-encrusted boulder
Scattered there below.

There hidden deep within the forest
Lies relics of a distant past
Forgotten souls cry out their story
Of livelihoods that didn't last.

Hardy souls built dams and rugged stone mills
Carving out a town
Families thrived, workers toiled and church bells rang out
Hope was all around.

There hidden deep within the forest
Lies relics of a distant past
Forgotten souls cry out their story
Of livelihoods that didn't last.

Forgotten histories never known
Enchanting mysteries in the stone.

But change soon came, fires burned and work moved elsewhere
Summer turned to fall
Winter winds brought broken fences, shuttered doorways
Times were hard for all.

There hidden deep within the forest
Lies relics of a distant past
Forgotten souls cry out their story
Of livelihoods that didn't last.

Farringtons
Farrington Woods
Danbury, CT
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Relics

Lyrics:
Those of you who know me or follow my postings know that one of my favorite pastimes is spending time biking or hiking in the woods. It's always a thrill to find remnants of old mills and dams on my adventures! Although I spend a lot of time researching and documenting the ruins I find, much of it remains an intriguing mystery and I often wonder and try to imagine what it was like working in the mills and living back during this era.

Music:
Most of the arrangement is based on a mid-range tight 3-note cluster and an quarter note offset of the bass. See Bass Offset (Score) (opens in a new window) Triangle and additional sparse percussion enhance the somewhat elusive groove.

Photos:
All photos were taken on my various biking and hiking adventures in both New York and Connnecticut.

Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), was a Scottish historian, novelist, poet, and playwright. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature. A childhood bout of polio in 1773 left Scott lame, a condition that would greatly affect his life and writing. Walter Scott had an immense impact throughout Europe. His historical fiction created for the first time a sense of the past as a place where people thought, felt and dressed differently. Walter Scott