I look up...

Winter trees and hills of snow

Ink Black Night

Ink black night
water flows by the curb
soft feather touch
street lights in the city
oak trees with their newborn leaves
muted laughter
cackle on the corner
relay the skies to me
green eyes on a side street
orange earthbound lantern stars
carry me home
light my way
ink black night
the echo the echo

Incandescent Blues

Smile at you out of the corner of my eye.
Drink a warm cup of tea.
I stood on the marina's edge and overlooked the green sea.
How can someone be so happy?

Time leaves you in the dust
and the things you remember you miss so much.
Riding down through Thompson's pass.
Blue hearted ice flows.

You sit in your corner chair.
I watch you there.
A lightly touched piano sings away.
Evening lamp light casts an orange glow.
The wooden chair creaks.
incandescent blues

Paint your face blue and red and pink.
Ride the riverboat with me in the dark.

Springtime in Atlanta

Long time a comin

Long time comin
Thats what they told us
Its been a long time comin boy
and you aint seen nothin yet
Its been a long time comin

Jesse swung the pick axe
Swing it again
Sparks and rocks and noise and spark
Sweat on his brow and a handkerchief at hand
Its been a long time comin

Get them mules
Gather up the men
Send a telegram to Mister Gentry
Its been a long time comin

The men gathered round with buckets in hand
Feet to go, mere inches between them and glory
Bust it up, crank it out
Peel the Earth back
God's blessed soil

Its been a long time comin
I hear you callin me
Lighting bolts split the sky asunder
Storm gray clouds show up with Brother wind
Blow and bust and whirly spin

Sarah waits at home
Jesse's child at foot
Biscuits at hand
Cooks and cleans for her greasy dirty man
and her door swings wide
He told her she would have to wait
Day grows dim

Night falls
Torches bright
Men work solid into the night
Optimistic outlooks fade
Desert crickets sing a serenade
Silence and nothing but silence

All the men with picks in hand
Father Earth burts forth
Buckets full of gold and oil
Squeeze the fertile soil
Dust to the mouth
Smiles form on the edges of darkness
Thank the Lord for his gifts
Thanks he Lord
Its been a long time comin