Manuela

She curls up like a ball at the sound of thunder
The distant guns are closing fast
Her body's hard as stone as her heart is tender
Forget your past, Manuela.

She finds the strength to heal in her darkest hour
Confronting soldiers as she sleeps
Her solitude is bold, but she fights for comfort
With a friend she keeps, Manuela.

Run from the night and emerge into day
Banish those demons as you pull away
Weakened by flight but empowered by will
To live and breathe a newer day.

She cries out with a plea from those burning embers
That took her little girl away
Standing shoulder deep in a town of rubble
Alive but trapped, Manuela.

Lost in a world of unending design
We cannot find the path to travel on
All I can offer this brave battered soul
Is a weathered hand to rest upon.

The fires of Guernica are ablaze forever
Behind those dark devoted eyes
Your day of rest will come when the shells stop falling
From angry skies, Manuela.

I'll tend to your heart, Manuela
Forget your past, Manuela.