The Pirate's Gospel by Alela Diane Menig The Pirate’s Gospel Grip your paddle strong for late night fording While some folks row way up to heaven I’m gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel I’m gonna sew these feet for dancin’ I’m gonna keep my eyes wide open Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho! Sing the Pirate’s Gospel Add another flame to our forest Where big bellied whales keep us chanting We’re slapping fiery thighs for tiny dancers! We be children creepin’ till the morning When the sun does seep into our fair flesh And filthy finger nails will take us home Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho! Sing the Pirate’s Gospel While some folks pray their path to Jesus We’re gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel We’re gonna sew these feet for dancin’ We’re gonna keep our eyes wide open We’re gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel Chant the Pirate’s Gospel You’ll find us clap the Pirate’s Gospel Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho! My Tired Feet My tired feet, my tired, tired feet My tired feet, my tired, tired feet My tired feet brought me to that red boat so still in foreign waters And although I’ve never been here, although I’ve never been here I know that here I’ve swam before, here I’ve swam before Soon I came, so soon I came Soon I came, so soon I came Soon I came to the silent place of choir voices In Excelsis Deo Where Jesus he keeps the street out Jesus he keeps the heat out Jesus he keeps the noise out And here, oh, here I’ve sung before Here, oh, here I’ve sung before I know that here I’ve sung before Here I’ve sat, I’ve run, I’ve walked, I’ve cried Oh! I’ve died, I’ve slept in till noon, and I’ve laughed, I’ve sighed Here I’ve sung before…. The Rifle I’ve been knockin’ on that door in my sleep Fighting the fireplace glow Knockin’ on that door in my sleep Fighting the fireplace glow To keep me away To keep me away from home Papa, get the rifle from its place above the French doors! They’re comin’ from the woods! Oh! They’re comin’ from the woods! And mama you’re running too Oh! My mama, you’re running too Brother, I’m so sorry that you watched the paintings burn I’ve been holding onto the gold When letting go would free my hand And I’ve been tying your tongue in a knot Oh! I’ve been tying your tongue in a knot To wrap this death To wrap this death in a sheet Papa, get the rifle from its place above the French doors! They’re comin’ from the woods! Oh! They’re comin’ from the woods! And mama you’re running too Oh! My mama, you’re running too Brother, I’m so sorry that you watched the paintings burn I can’t hide the dirty paths down that carpet anymore There were too many heavy boots There were too many heavy boots There were too many big black boots And there were too many little brown shoes Marching through So I’m counting it to the sky Oh! I’m counting it to the sky And moving back to face the lack of home Foreign Tongue That sidewalk is a river that I’ve fished dry That sidewalk is a river that I fished dry And now it’s my heavy hand filling the brim But it pulled me out of that realm My coat of arms burns stronger still (Whistling) Foreign tongue ties me here Foreign tongue ties me here So I hang my slips out with the words between the lines Hang my slips out with the words between the lines And bow my head to that year Bow my head to those years I’ll never tip toe across my home ever again Can you blame the sky? Can you blame the sky when a mama leaves her babies behind? Can you blame the sky when a mama leaves here babies behind? Or can you blame the sea? Oh! can you blame the sea? ‘Cause she’s a flowing in that water deep Or is it the dirt? That you envy so? ‘Cause in it, her strong roots still grow No! No! No! No! No! I’ll blame those birds, flocking so I’ll blame those birds! Flocking so Because with them she’s a flying All those mamas are a flying And they’re watching us from above Oh! They’re watching us from above Dropping their feathers With a mother’s love Something’s gone awry This crazy, crazy is caught in the forest While yours paws hooves in the sand There’s a cuckoo wind blowing Those sparrows are crowing And flocking birds sewing the sky ‘Cause something’s gone awry Oh! something’s gone awry The night is much colder My chest is still older And love won’t pirate my heart Clenched teeth be biting The children are fighting The leaves will soon fall to the ground ‘Cause something’s gone awry Oh! something’s gone awry Pieces of String I’ll have you know Oh! I’ll have you know That if I had one, I’d play this on piano And if I had one of those, I’d sit it on my knee And count to 1, 2, 3 If I had one of those other things, I’d put it in my mouth If I had some of those other things, I’d put them into jars on the shelf But, I’ll have you know Oh! I’ll have you know That if I had, say, 10 or 20 I’d have a choir of little children sing along I’d have a choir of little children sing along But, I’ll have you know Oh! I’ll have you know That if she had one, she’d put it in a paper bag If she had one, she’d put it in a paper bag Labeled: “Pieces of String too small to use” “Pieces of String too small to use” Her autumn leaves are now the dirt And summer winds did blow her hair But now she’s “Pieces of String too small to use” “Pieces of String too small to use” Clickity Clack How do you? How do you do? How do you? How do you do it? Music maker, Stop pressing those strings firmly to my down The ground water is drying up to fill my jars again And that Click Clack Clickity Click Click Click Click Clickity Clack Clickity Clack I’m through having your harsh march stare down my size And punish what young is left in these eyes Click Clack Clickity Click Click Click Click Clickity Clack Clickity Clack How do I? Oh! How do I? How do I? How did I? How can I? How will I pick up and go? Because I lack the wind in trees And the sunlight in the afternoon My button collections need to find a home And that Click Clack Clickity Click Click Click Click Clickity Clack Clickity Clack I’m through having your harsh march stare down my size And punish what young is left in these eyes Click Clack Clickity Click Click Click Click Clickity Clack Clickity Clack But when I turn my back When I turn my back I’ll twirl my little skirt And it’ll be my shoes instead of yours My shoes instead of yours My shoes screaming that Click Clack Clickity Click Click Click Click Clickity Clack Clickity Clack Sister Self That pull isn’t growing in my black, solid sky, solid sky And pirate ships pulled these shoulders back In morning slumber I gripped the slender palm of my hand I felt the soft of my flesh And I stared into my sister self We were running, running, running We were climbing, we were fighting We were breathing fast, praying please We were singing We were dancing We were clapping Singin’, Dancin’, Clappin’! We were returning to the hills Bringing buckets drawn from the wells Returning to the hills Bringing buckets drawn from the wells But I’ve got to hold my own hand I’ve got to hold my own hand And this is my skin that I feel These are the teeth that I clench And the hazel of my sight ‘Cause the color she wears is mine Oh! That color she’s wearing is mine We were running, running, running We were climbing, we were fighting We were breathing fast, praying please We were singing We were dancing We were clapping Singin’, Dancin’, Clappin’! We were returning to the hills Bringing buckets drawn from the wells Returning to the hills Bringing buckets drawn from the wells Oh! My mama Oh! my mama, she gave me these feathered breaths Oh! my mama, she told me, “Use your voice, my little bird!” She said “sing! sing! sing! sing! sing! sing! melodies” And she sang! sang! sang! sang! sang! those melodies Oh! my mama, she did give me fancy feet I’ll be dancin’ on And I’ll tap, tap, tap my toes into those creaking floor boards Oh! My mama she took my little hand and held on tight All the mamas give the waters of their wells! All the mamas give the babies this very dirt we’re walking on Oh! My mama, she gave me these feathered breaths And your mama, she gave you these feathered breaths too And when the sky drops all those feathers When the birds sing in the morning I’ll be a mama I’ll have a daughter And I’ll give her melodies I’ll give her melodies She’ll be my little bird And then she’ll fly