when my father came back from the war
I knew he would want to see me first
so I ran out to greet him
but he fell to his knees in the dirt

he told me daughter
I have promised God to offer
the first creature that I saw

father the vow you have made
is one you cannot escape
but first let me go with my sisters
down to the shores of the lake

I lived two months with them
my sisters in the forest
and then I returned back home

the night he took me to the mountain
neither of us spoke
we reached the peak together
just as sunrise broke

I could have run from him
I almost thought he wished it
but I could not run from God

it was the last day of my life
the sun had never shone so bright
my father held the knife
I kept my eyes open wide

then angels came to me
with faces of my sisters
and they filled my eyes with tears