Songs-in-a-Bottle

Songs-in-a-Bottle Pete's Songs in a Bottle

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An American Quilt

there's a mother with head slightly tilted
who's reading a message embroidered somewhere on an American quilt
while suppressing some insistent teardrops welling up inside her eyes
there's a father with pocketed hands
looking somewhat bewildered and defeated in the face of an American quilt
as he contemplates its awesome beauty, grandeur and its size

and each one sniffs and each one twitches, moved by the sight of such loving stitches
each one in its place, and sewn with a thread that is lovingly woven tight
to be loved by day and loved by candlelight

there is somebody's brother or sister or baby
or lover for life, even nameless, lying under an American quilt
where the patches are dreams, and the dreams memories that must not die
and in the calm in the eye of the storm, keep them well, keep them safe, keep them warm
and be the blanket for their sleep
oh now you've done your work so well, go tell your seamstress - sew no more

large squares of wool and squares of cotton, sewn signs that love is not forgotten
to be held in the eye and the hand as a way for the heart just to say goodnight
to be loved by day and loved by candlelight

there is somebody's brother or sister or baby
or lover for life even nameless lying under an American quilt
where the patches are dreams, and the dreams memories that must not die
and in the calm in the eye of the storm, keep them well, keep them safe, keep them warm
and be the blanket for their sleep
oh now you've done your work so well, go tell your seamstress - sew no more

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