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Appalachian Eyes

by Ten Cent Poetry

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1.
I’d never force you from the forest Heist the hatchet from your hands I’d never pull on all your fingers If you didn’t want to dance I’d never show my naked body if you truly needed sleep ‘Cause you’re not my little play thing And I never want to be your Last Word Queen I’d never put you in the spotlight if that song was just for me Or blow smoke rings in your face dear If you got down on one knee I’d never shoo you to the shoreline if that’s not where you longed to be ‘Cause you’re not my little play thing And I never want to be your Last Word Queen I’ve watched you draw your pictures in invisible ink I hear every word you’re saying even when you don’t speak I’d sit and wait for your final answer if it took the longest week ‘Cause you’re not my little play thing And I never want to be your Last Word Queen So even though I’m your ally Please correct me where I’m wrong Shine a light on all the places I can’t reach you with my song Your love is my horizon And I’m your shoreline pine Though we share the same bright sky dear I’d never try to make you mine I’d never force you from the forest >>>–––––––––––––––> Chelsea Lynn La Bate Madison Ave, Asheville, NC
2.
Night time, Moonshine Night time, moonshine A banjo and no road signs All the way from Boone to Spruce Pine Will I find you sleeping there Night time, moonshine I won't take it if it's not mine I'll climb if I can't I can't fly See the mountains from both ends Night time, moonshine Fireflies by the roadside Well we always seem to get by On a horseshoe and a prayer Night time, moonshine Pockets full of four leaf clovers I'm so glad you're coming over We'll see the mountain from both ends Chelsea Lynn LaBate For Elliot Z Penland School of Crafts, NC Saturday. July 26, 2014
3.
Be Here, Be Blessed What do we do now that we've enough food in our bellies And the fields are still high with wheat What do we do now with all of this wood on our fire And this love crackling 'round our feet What do we do now with this gold light in our eyes And the blessings of our family Hovering over us like loyal fireflies Or the branches of the poplar tree Chorus But the battle is over find your rocking chair Close your eyes love and take a rest Though the water may rise and take all we know For now be here be blessed Call the neighbors over Fill their bowls and their glasses Set a table for twelve in the yard We've got more than nine seasons to last us Feed all who've been working to hard Chorus We've got more questions than any answers We've got more scars than stars Everything that ever passed through our fingers Was never ever really ours Chorus >>>–––––––––––––––> Chelsea Lynn LaBate For my folks - Russ and Sooz. Here's to 30 years.
4.
When all your ones add to zeros and there’s no one left to hate You spent the night with the time keeper And still got to work too late When you’ve inherited the Queen’s key but there’s no lock to be found You being to think this treading water is just a lower way to drown When the messages you sent her never ever went through and all the street lights in your hometown only blink a brilliant blue When the leaders of the new world never stop to look around You begin to think this treading water is just a lower way to drown When the heat of last night’s fever vows to stick and linger And the ring he knelt down to give you Keeps slipping off your finger And the road withholds its blockades in the folds of its soft curves . . . . And the memos of the angels lie on the tongues of crows I’ll help you find your footing we will learn the worth of dirt There’s a kingdom in every seedling There’s a wand in every word When all your ones add to zeros love can still be found This river will float you You’re too precious to drown >>>–––––––––––––––> Chelsea Lynn La Bate
5.
You have no roof, to table no shoes No window for the wind to blow through I’m coming over, I’m moving I’m coming over, I’m moving You have no numbers, no land line phone No papers, no networks no garden gnome I’m coming over, I’m moving in Chorus You say the moon’s your lover The sky your house The river your blood The stars your mouth You have no mirror, no closets, no plans No chest of drawers no picket fence I’m coming over, I’m moving in I’m coming over, I’m moving in Chorus >>>–––––––––––––––> Chelsea Lynn La Bate
6.
The Great Divide Make a fire so we can eat.  Drop your pack, unpack the meat We have mountains to go  Knot the ropes around the tree Fill the bottles, boil leaves Our boots are frozen with snow Chorus We're crossing over the Great Divide Falcons soaring in our eyes and the Stars stitched on our foreheads We're crossing over the Great Divide Where our forefathers lie    Their faces forming in the snow Mountains and mountains to go     What has been learned  from the neckline of the ferns Does any of this even matter? What have we gleaned  from the campaign of the streams Does our music make it any better? Chorus We're crossing over the Great Divide Loyal mules at our sides Stars stamped on our foreheads We're crossing over the Great Divide Where our Great grandmothers lie Their faces forming in the snow We have mountains and mountains to go     Make a bed so we can sleep Zip the tent. Turn down the sheets. Moths are diving in our lanterns. In the night we will meet those  those who are felt instead of seen Their faces forming in the snow We have mountains and mountains to go Chorus    >>>–––––––––––––––> Chelsea Lynn La Bate For Alex, Addy and Beast. Hanger Hall, Asheville, NC
7.
The Passing of the People’s Fire Take me to every single place that I have ever felt love Bathe me in bright faces push a song into my lungs I’ve seen in all the four directions affections never been won By driving my horse into the sun Unfold the untold glory of our small town machine oil up it’s gears and let its valves gently gleam Fly high the flag of friendship send the vampires on the run This is how freedom is won The foundation of wealth is made of breath and time Suspended by surrender and galaxy light Slip your shoes off on my front porch. Sing into my eyes This is the passing of the people’s fire Take me to every single place. . . Now I’ve testified for beggars with stale bread in my hands Signed up to build an empire then let the wind take my plans Taken on a whole army with no bullets in my gun And I tell you, my freedom was won Take me to every single place that I have ever felt love Light the candles on the table, pour some wine into my lungs I’ve seen in all the four directions affections never been won By driving my horse into the sun Chelsea Lynn La Bate
8.
Small Town Memories Lower me down from the crown Of the ivory tower Wash the shadows from my hands Make me forget everything I was working for Before I stepped foot On your fertile land Tangle up my lines but please don't punish me For wanting to live clean and free I've tried every elixir in Their fixer-her-up store I'd rather keep my Small town memories Chorus Cause I was born on a farm In the harvest moon season I was raised to confide In the company of trees You walk by my side because I know you believe in my Small town memories I climb up to your bedroom on a thorny vine While the guardians are fast asleep We'll find the pleasure in the measuring of crooked things We'll find the treasures in our Small town memories Chorus Meet me in the garden amongst the dirt and the snails We'll learn the words of slowness With black lined fingernails I've been all around the world and This is where I want to be With you and our Small town memories Chelsea Lynn La Bate

about

Appalachian Eyes - Ten Cent Poetry. Produced by Grammy Award winner, Neal Merrick Blackwood. Written at Penland School of Crafts, NC. penland.org All songs copyright © 2023 Chelsea Lynn La Bate.

credits

released February 25, 2016

Featuring Chris Rosser, Lyndsay Pruett, Charlie Baker. All material ©2023 created by Chelsea Lynn La Bate
Songcrafter™. www.chelsealynnlabate.art

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Ten Cent Poetry Asheville, North Carolina

Chelsea La Bate is a poet, composer, songwriter, performer, author and radio host. She likes sparkly things. She constructs songs with colored markers, a notebook, a mountain dulcimer, a banjo and a guitar.

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