God put me on Amelia on the night that I was born,
In wind that blew both fierce and cold from sunset until dawn.
The waves whipped high upon the sea that roared at my head and
The river swirled, dark and deep, at the foot of my small bed.

God kept me by the water growing tall within its sight.
I fished the river daytimes and I seined the surf by night.
I hunted turtle eggs by moon among the clean sand dunes,
And I learned to squint my eyes against an ocean bright with sun.

Young man, I left the island, but it never let me go;
I never could lose sight of it in desert or in snow.
I followed jobs 'cross state and sea but never could erase
My longing for the island that God meant to be my place.

Came back to where I started, to the dark and windy nights,
To blue crabs bubbling water, to the blinking beacon lights.
To burning sand piled deeply, shrimp boats chugging out to sea.
Here I was born! Here I will die! Here you must bury me!

Never was too good at praying, but there's one prayer I can say
To Christ who walked with fishermen and knows their salty way.
Don't need a fancy heaven when death's tide comes in for me,
Lord, put me on an island, by a deep and shining sea.