mother and child
Mother and child swinging high in the new morning light
Warm and fine, you feel, the magic as it shines -- don’t it shine?
How they play with ease
Smiling -- while they tease
And you pour in all you need
Long tender arms and graceful, loving, lovely eyes
All the dreams, stored neatly, and far out of sight – what a sight
See how well they please
Only wanting to be free
Can you pour in all you need?
Sunlight breaks the mystery, through a pattern of leaves
Stories told, more than anyone much older believes-- she believes
Eyes glisten as they plead
Hoping that you never freeze
So, you pour in all you need, all you need
All you need
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Rosie rises early -- she comes straight down the stair
Fixing the vase and holding the child with care
She works in the yard; it isn’t so hard any more
Building the fire, it burns like desire, and warm
All the world goes by
Roses reach the sky
Growing day by day
Another finds its way
Rosie stays busy and still a bit pretty they say
Folks in the town they don’t usually come round much today
She washes the clothes, and knows more than she shows, anyhow
She makes up the bed, thinks twice what they said, I don’t know
Still the world it turns
Growing as we learn
Roses reach the sky
Knowing more inside
Did you see it today, all the colors that came when it rained?
Catching the leaves, all the branches and tree through the pane?
Rosie, she straightens the room with a glance and a gaze
Mourning and smiling, remembering a lover’s embrace
Roses reach the sky
Clouds go drifting by
Growing day by day
Another finds its way
…growing, going…on.
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1 set-up
Long stretch of land and sky, thoughts of you from the very first time
Coming now so far away, rails rolling and boxcars sway
2 arrival
Empty stretch of the platform rail, twelve hours in and I’m feeling well
Saw your face in the burning sun, your hat, your dress, so tightly spun
Counting miles inside your eyes, rolling rails and distant ties
And you know just what I feel…but you know when it’s so unreal
3 stay and departure
Hours pass, night winds chill, every minute we’re closer still
It’s a feeling we never lose, body’s grace in every move
Still the feeling of who you are, hits me hard like a shooting star
When we see the moment’s passed, Time’s fortune turned to glass
4 leaving/longing
And It’s pulling you so hard
It seems so far
All the space in the open sky
I think I remembered the very first time
Rolling rails of iron and steel
Only fragments of what you feel
Light, colors, what you said
Holding deep inside my head
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I heard all you had is gone
They say your shoes are tired and torn
The road you’re heading down is long
The sun is set, the wind is strong
Just give me time
I’ll clear my mind,
You say, please, someone please
I read they caught outlaw’s son
Held for nothing that he’d done
We try so hard to be free
It’s so hard for us to see
Just give me time
to speak my mind,
You say, please, someone please
Sometimes we just misunderstand
A trial and bible in our hand
The full story’s never told
Truth is lost in winter’s cold
Just give me time
To hear my mind,
You say, please, someone please
I heard you’d finally gone away
Left no word of where you’d stay
The flowers long ago they’ve dried
And all the memories scattered wide
Oh, just give me time
I’ll clear my mind,
You say, please, someone please, please please someone, please, please please someone...
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Did you see her, did you wake her, on that morn long ago?
As she slept with white clouds and the birds high above.
And you waited, hesitated, with your hands’ heavy load
As you left her the sound of the heavens, sweet love.
Though a white rose was born, and the days carry on,
You know, lost, in the clouds, a beauty has gone.
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Did you see her, did you wake her, on that morn long ago?
As she slept with white clouds and the birds high above.
hear my calling on
near my falling one
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Could you hold her, could you love her, so that she’d always know?
Or did you break down before the cold tears were drawn?
Had you told her, had you showed her, all the warmth that is so,
Or did you leave empty handed in the cold winter’s snow?
Though a white rose was born, and the days carry on,
You know, lost, in the clouds, a beauty has gone
Could you hold her, could you love her, so that she’d always know?
Or did you break down before the cold tears were drawn?
hear my calling on
near my falling one
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See the redbirds on the run, will you find the only one? See the redbirds on the run, will you find the only one?
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Five penny pretty, she worked hard in the sun
She worked for pennies, like many have done
And with a smile, that everyone loved
Her eyes were deep, like the heavens above
It’s an old story, though not long ago
Five penny pretty, had a hard row to hoe
Lift your head up high
Hear your sister’s cry
They called her Ginny, and they loved her so
But they were hard, as only children know
Fine pretty Penny, worked long in the fields
Her body strong, pulling on the cotton wheels
Go to rest my love
Find your peace above
Five penny pretty, with eyes deep and brown
Loved by many, in that distant town
Early Sundays, when the church bells rang
They called on Ginny, when the children sang
She said her prayers, and taught the people so
And gave her strength, what the poor ones know
--
In a poor winter, and the snow’s deep fall
Carrying wood, and hope for them all
Five penny pretty, never had what you had
She never had a father, in all this land
Lift your head up high
Hear your sister’s cry
Can you hear her
please, please hear her
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Lovers late lasting
in this one light room
Every object casting
every thought removed
lines and shadows fill my restless mind of you
Words went waiting
in this one light room
Minds anticipating
but still closer to
Young lives yearning
Slow moves mating
And soft touch learning
Painting sculptures of you
--
Bodies draw softly
In this one light room
Circle sounds caught me
thinking further than we knew
Every object faces
knowing it’s too soon
Pulling Time in cages
Time is never far from view
Lines and shadows fill my time and
Everything that we are still not
Lines and shadows fill my restless mind
Of all that we still forgot
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Sounds below passing
In our one light room
Others lives lasting
Knowing we part too soon
Lovers late lasting
in this one light room
in our one light room
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Silver highway streaming on and on
Slowly turns through the quiet light of the dawn
Finally thought about the things you tried to say
Lines and fog that only break with the break of day
People’s voices know the reasons drowning out
Silver heels on the table scream and shout
Carpet hallway gleaming on and on
Rented room with the empty sound when you’ve gone
Finally thought about the words you tried to say
All the pieces of your life you pushed away
People’s voices know the reasons drowning out
Silver heels on the table scream and shout
Caught on your feet, don’t get caught on the street
You go down, down, down too slowly
Stand on your head no one heard what you said
Don’t go down, down, down you’re lonely
Walk out the door it’s a world that needs more
We go down, down, down too slowly
Silver highway streaming on and on
Slowly turns through the quiet light of the dawn
Finally thought about the things you tried to say
Lines and fog that only break with the break of day
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Beautiful Sunday morning
Sweet dew falling
Hear heaven’s warning
The children came calling
A small crowd so proud standing in the sun
Black crows, blue birds listening, every one
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Oak groves shining
Shoes shined singing
War time’s sounding
Preacher’s voice ringing
A small crowd so proud standing in the sun
Black crows, blue birds listening, every one
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(prayer)
Sing won’t you sing Sisters for your preaching son
A song for your brothers and for every one
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Beautiful Sunday sermon
Heart’s hope sharing
All man’s learning
Together for caring
A small crowd so proud standing in the sun
Black crows, blue birds listening, every one, every one
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Preacher’s last morning
Sweet dew falling
Hear heaven’s warning
The children came calling
Sing, won’t you sing, Sisters, for your preaching son
A song for your brothers and for every one
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run willy run run to the sun run for your freedom run for your son
Not enough time, no time to stay, time to break the chains, for a better day.
Are you fast enough, will you ever know? Are you far enough, will they tell you so?
If you give a man what he never had, will you make amends, do you understand?
Run for freedom, to the water’s edge, through the people’s land, like the preacher said.
Kept in chains, all his life -- for no sin done, and no man’s vice.
Caught in a cycle of broken walls -- broken views and broken laws.
Still, he worked, night and day, cried twice for nothing, with nothing saved.
One night Willy, he saw his chance, he fled the night into Future’s hands.
run willy run never stop, never stop, son never look back ‘agin run to the sun
run willy run run to the sun run for your freedom run for your son
---I’m gonna make me a new life –---- make a beautiful new life.
---I’m gonna work with my hands ----- work hard on the land.
Not enough time or time to stay --- I’m breaking away, for a brand, new day.
Am I fast enough? will I ever know? -- Can I run far enough where the sun don’t go?
Will you give a man -- what he needs – will you give him freedom when he’s on his knees?
I’m going to run for freedom, past the water’s edge, to the people’s land, like the preacher said.
run willy run