A Mead Hall In Winter

With an eye pressed to the spyglass Counting constellations On the shores of distant oceans Charting undiscovered lands; The collectors and observers Curators and explorers Reflectors of light Dare to be wise, think for yourself See much further Go build a steam-driven machine Or a rocket to the moon Dig the earth for ancient worlds Look back in time Tell the story from the start The story of us How did this all come to pass? Merchants of light Such wonders here Without fantastic things The curiosity of man Finding form and shape and truth But from an age of reason Reaching out across the land From the centuries of light To leaden skies And distant thunder Meet me at the mead hall in winter Set the world to right With songs, science and stories Hold back the fading light Artists and dreamers and thinkers Right here by your side Finding truth in those travellers' tales On this brief flight of life Bring word of your engines and designs Your medicines and poetry And meet me at the mead hall in winter We'll set the world to right With songs and science and stories Hold back the fading light Artists and dreamers and thinkers Are right here by your side Reaching for the far skies And the undiscovered depths Following a dream of the West Here in science and art And beauty and music And friendship and love You will find us The best of what we are The poets and painters And writers and dreamers