his mother and his friends, everyone in town
   couldn't believe their eyes and ears
when Charles sat up and began to speak, telling of his vision
   everyone had thought he was dead

Three more years he was given
   after which he would die without another second chance
Three years to change his ways and this he did
   He turned his face towards God and ceased his evil ways

As promised after three years to the day he died
   Shot by a bullet not aimed for him
Friends coming to comfort his mother were frightened to death
   when a dreadful keening was heard on the road

The banshee appeared before them, a hideous old lady
   in a cloak of ghostly white
She kept the travellers from resting till they reached MacCarthy's home
   and pointed toward the house where the dead man lay

Her long horrible cry chilled their bones
   as she mourned the last of the MacCarthy's line
She had mourned their dead for centuries
   and here was Charles now dead with no heir

suddenly the banshee was silenced when an angel appeared
   she could only barely stand the light of the angel's pressence,
but the angel made her stay if maybe but for a moment
   he addressed the banshee and spoke:

"See this man's soul is clean,
   he is a man who gave his life to the Lord.
"This is no time to mourn as you do
   this man will see eternal life"

The apparition trembled and shivered at the angel's voice
   and for the last of her line, the son with no heir
The banshee's voice also trembled erratic
   one moment high piched, the next low like a man's

"For one this man was sinful for most his life
   surely three years cannot cleanse years of debauchery
For two his was a high family of a long line
   and he last, surely there can be no inheritance"

The wrist of the spectre burned bright white
   when the angel took her hand
The angel spoke again, with authority and grace
   his hand firm, but the burning slightly faded

"It was not any three years which saved this man
   though he worked for the Lord
It was turning toward his God and away from his darkness
   no amount of sin can withstand the blood of the Son"

"And for you, your time on earth has ended
   your high family gone
they say you were too bad for heaven yet too good for hell
   but you too will go to a final destination"

"Go now, if your life had not decided the choice is still yours
   Go now, to wherever you believe,
if you believe in the holy blood or if else you want this man to burn
   whichever you choose the man will still be saved"

The bent ghost of a woman turned to him in fear
   for she believed the man was doomed
But she saw hope in the eyes of the angel
   maybe, maybe there was hope for Charles' soul

as for her desire for the man's fate, she could not make up her mind
   she desired justice for his crime and an end to be made
but she had seen the change in his final three years,
   how his face shone with God's love which he now proclaimed

and how the angel's face shone with the same love
   from God, even for the likes of her once human soul
and she began to look toward and receive it
   and her mourning was forever ended

She appeared younger now, the red of weeping gone from her eyes
   Now she echoed his earlier words
"This is no time to mourn as I have
   this man will see eternal peace,

and so might I"