ACROSS THE TABLE
Across the table from me Delicious and fancy free Spirited laughter A tear or two shared Two-way secrets and dreams The kind that nobody else Would fathom the first thing about Magical moments, parallel miracles Making their music aloud
Across the table from me A world others just don’t see Whatever could possibly be So sweet But the hand of a friend holds no price It comes bearing no sacrifice Always a shoulder, never withholding Or having to ever think twice
‘Cause first thoughts hold most of the gold And your smile will never grow old There’s always a place for your wonderful face Across the table from me Only God knows just how it all goes When and where it’ll happen to be It’s my precious prayer, I’m already there You’re across the table from me
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Carve the wood with deftly honed precision Finding fresh new ways to praise the past A grand old clock presiding in the hallway Sings warmly of its craftsman unsurpassed Bowls with tiny apple blossom borders Trays and jewel boxes all inlaid Have found their niche in homes across the country And all with love so proudly on display We'll be caring for them now, dad All these woodland treasures you have made We'll stroke the rich design And tend the lustrous shine And remember how your hands could guide the blade
Stir the bubbling gravy at the stovetop Just another touch of sherry please A giant of perfection in the kitchen His specialties assembled quite a feast I'm still trying to recall, dad What was the secret in that sauce you made? It doesn't seem to be in this yellowed recipe Was it really quite as simple as you said? Pass it on
Focus on pink petals as the sunlight Makes a filmy halo as it wanes Blend the perfect lens with the steadiest of hands Here's a photograph that dazzles in its frame We'll be making pictures now, dad Thanks for passing this old camera along We'll be treating it with care, and we'll try hard not to swear When the wind comes up and makes the image wrong Pass it on
Pick the strings and sing the fine old folk songs Spin the blarney charm all around Sing about the shark that spared the women About candy mountains and the fox that reached the town I'll sing them for you now, dad Stories pointing back where I come from I'm singing for you now, dad I can be a voice to pass it on Although our hands and voices aren't the same Pass it on We can carry on the sport We can carry on the heart We are kindred sturdy links in this old chain .
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Cool deep water Dragonfly He calls her, it’s his eyes Bayou daughter mystified The smiles he brought her made her cry
How do you hold it down, the sound of your heartbeat, When he comes around The pounding, hard and sweet But he only knows to hold the ground ‘neath his own feet Music’s keeping him alive
Supple kisses Moonlit sky Luminescence keeps her high The day they found her on the fly Revelation from the sky
How they whispered How she cried When they kissed her Dragonflies How he whispered How he cried How she listens How he flies
How do you hold it down, the sound of your heartbeat, When they come around The music, soft and sweet They only try to hold the ground ‘neath your own feet Magic holds them when they fly
How do you hold it down, the sound of your heartbeat, When he comes around The pounding, hard and sweet But he only knows to hold the ground ‘neath his own feet Music holds him when he flies
Cool blue magic in his eyes In the mist The dragonflies
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Driving the car My mind isn’t far from your breathing Souls that we are, butterflies in a jar Softly lingering The white of stars Shines from your heart It is singing
I know this feeling so well, it’s just It’s been too long to tell Where the melody swells And the places where it should be fading
Lovely guitar Sings who you are We are making Sweet spirits dance They bless us, and we are aching
To know this feeling so well, it’s just It’s been too long to tell Between casting of spells And the promises no one is breaking
There’s the north star You’re never far from your vision It sings in your heart Just like the stars It’s precision
And beautiful swirls in the shell Created from mighty sea swells They still dance on the waves And the seabirds still crave their singing They’re winging
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There’s roses on the lake tonight Lingering there And summer’s wide awake tonight Kissing the air There’s a billion stars white, all twinkling down And a sweep of moonlight’s just caressing the town
And though she’s been gone So many years She’s there in that bottle She’s there in the tears That are dried in the bend of your tired backbone Her voice still preempts the one in your phone She’s still making sure new loves never last She’s stuck in your future until she’s your past
Baby, scatter the ashes Who’s to say Where she will wind up or who she’ll betray But baby you get to choose what you do with today And there’s roses on the water And it’s a new day
It’s just over there A rosy sky A new canvas every night Open your eyes And the whispering wind has secrets for you Saying Listen my friend, here’s something for you
And though she’s been gone…
Scatter the ashes…
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She doesn’t look back anymore Just turns and goes back through the door It’s just a small thing Mightn’t mean anything But her shoulders aren’t back like before
One day he just fell to the floor And left Like a shell washed ashore She waited each day and Silently prayed But he never spoke anymore
And the next thing she knew She’s inspecting the view From the big window on the ninth floor In her new little room Where she spends afternoons Waiting for supper once more
She searches for things For photos or rings That used to surround her before So we bring little things Saying stop worrying That’s easy to say when you’re
Not the one at the sliding glass door Where the choices aren’t yours anymore Where you wait til you cry And while they’re waving goodbye You might not look back anymore
It’s just a small thing Mightn’t mean anything But her shoulders aren’t back And as a matter of fact, She doesn’t look back anymore
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On the day the sky turned black In dress shoes and ashen jackets A stream of broken people started home And pushing onward in sheer will Many couldn’t bear to look back Still the heart that led them here would lead them on
As they stumbled through the streets Holding cases that no longer held a need With no time and no relief from aching feet There amidst this long parade of grief Stood an angel with an answer Standing in the street outside his store Handing out a prayer and something more
A pair of good shoes, For the ragged ones who made it For the ready ones to brave the long walk home, With a stable tread and a strong cushioned sole There’s some good shoes just because you made it And you’ll cover many more miles wearing those
Treading through the dark With tended, tougher hearts They made it through the rubble Walking toward tomorrow In the strong leather of hope and love
And their good shoes Just because somebody cared enough To give away his wares To fortify another’s weary soul Gave the best shoes Just because they made it
And they’ll cover many more miles wearing those |
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Ol’ Sol has finally shown his face this cold grey winter morning Sweet spirits on the radio, my old grey heart is soaring Listening to the stories trace my own life in a mirror Showing me more surely how the distances draw nearer
Carrying my dreams into the day Carrying crystal blues and greens of dew in May Clarion clear a path inside and get me smiling Carrying promises to revel for awhile in
Its funny what the sun, a few good songs and thoughts can do Sweep the crumbs right from your soul, they run and play with you How do those in darkened places ever make it through it Let’s sing this one for them and send some light and let them do it
Carrying our dreams into the day Carrying crystal colors calling us to play Clarion clear a path inside and get us smiling Carrying promises we’ll revel for awhile in
Here comes the sun -- we’re comin’ undone
Let me dance into my place with Spring’s sweet music playing Maybe light up someone’s face like mine is with your playing Long as I got songs to sing and light to guide my way There’ll be grace and flame and breath enough to stow away
For carrying… |
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Take the eye in the storm, the bud in the rose The hub of the wheel, so steady as she goes She’s the place where the waters converge See her face as she stands on the verge She’s the salt of the earth, the heart of the family
There’s the eye of a tiger, the wing of a dove She’s the soul provider, unconditional love It’s the bone and the muscle and blood It’s the stone that you just got to rub She’s the salt of the earth, the heart of the family
And lucky me I got her for free Most mothers in law got a price I waltzed right in to this family And she didn’t even think twice
She just opened her arms, opened her home Her accessible heart, and said You’re never alone You’re a part of this family, here’s a place where you’re free to be With the salt of the earth in the heart of the family
At the core of it all Serenity glows No matter the winds, no matter the snows It’s the marrow deep in the bone She’s more than you have known Forever the home, the Heart of the family
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It wasn’t hard to see You’d stopped wanting me I was never gonna be somebody’s fool I talked myself right out of loving you Did a real good job It was working, too
Never was one for melancholy Never did cry myself to sleep Tears were just for foolish losers I never allowed that kind of thing
Til daffodils whispered melodies And April breezes kissed my face And ocean mist showered over me As the tears rolled down I saw your face
It was only Spring blowing by again Soft singing breeze, blossoms’ smile Like the waving fields of Texas bluebonnets That pulled you closer for awhile
You cooled your wheels by the wayside Soothed your fever on the fly Night music flew through the light of day And it was you taught me to cry
When daffodils… And ocean mist showered over me Til I no longer saw your face
It took a year or two to see what’s clear to me Men like you just need to see That tears will flow every now and then But they let you grow, they set you free Like spring rain Overflowing rivers to the sea Spring rain takes away the pain And takes you where you need to be
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Dear Cheri Willow tree and I will bring sighs that come When sunflowers fly away So you Will remember why, When fearsome skies become the other way to pray, that
Fools only see their fears’ reflections They’d never hear the dance of Four Winds They’d never know the gold in the chrysalis They’d never seek the Uncountable rays of your mind
And when They crowd your symphony, When tears come, When colors cry away You’ll drift with the wind and know Hope never really goes It sings a sigh, and I say
Maybe they’ll never feel one sunset Maybe they’ll never dream with colors Maybe their treasons lie in their words every day.
Maybe crazy’s a word just for fools to say
But Pentimento never lies And in penumbral light The skies glow And the molten magic of your eyes, So like dragonflies and fireflies And butterflies, Dear Cheri
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Wrap it round your shoulders Cradle your chin Let the love that’s in this quilt Dry your tears, and then Let the colors heal you Untie old blindfolds Listen now and hear the truth Singing in your soul
A Rose for you, sister A bold Friendship Star The Broken Wheel corner Hears your sad heart Drunkard’s Path shows us how We can stray, and Butterfly knows We can rethink the way
Bear’s Paw and Monkey Wrench Offer us tools - Courage and insight To not suffer fools. Moon Over Mountain Gives light where you are, and Crossroads points you To your North Star
Wrap it round your shoulders Let it kiss your skin Let your gentle fingers find A heart that lets you in Let the colors cleanse you Untie old blindfolds Listen now and hear the truth That’s singing in your soul It’s there, let it find you
Hear the quilter’s secret songs In every square Celebrations, good love The stories, the prayers A golden Giving Basket Of stitches fine and strong ATree of Life. A magic shawl A place to belong
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