Maria
©2015 Stephen R Coffee
There are more than 65 million refugees in the world, plus an additional 10 million "stateless" people. 244 million live in a country other than that of their birth. Safe to say, most of them are missing somebody.
Every night the stars slip a little farther to the south
Constellations point the way; there’s fear, there’s hope, there’s doubt
And over the horizon el Norte beckons like a flame
But the ground is hard and cold, And I call out your name
And if I ever see your face again, I swear I’ll never leave
And if I die along the trail, the name upon my lips will be ‘Maria’
For seven nights I rode atop the train, the one they call the beast
I saw a woman roll off to her death, when she fell asleep
My money was all taken, and the blanket that your mother wove
And where I go from here only God and Coyote know
And if I ever see your face again, I swear I’ll never leave
And if I die along the trail, the name upon my lips will be ‘Maria’
Last night I dreamed I soared on the wings of a bird
I flew to your bedside and whispered, but you never heard
There must be a million more praying to a desert sky tonight
Who’ve left a wife and baby child to send them back the money to survive
But everywhere I go I meet criminals with badges, sticks, and guns
Still onward to the dawn, this human river runs
And if I ever see your face again, I swear I’ll never leave
And if I die along the trail, the name upon my lips will be ‘Maria’
Maria
More songs for your listening pleasure:
Alice
Soundtrack of one man's journey through the Australian Outback
The Impossible Sky
Ruth finds beauty in a harsh environment. From Rain Follows the Plow
Indian Joe
Where are your people? From Rain Follows the Plow
Deepwater Requiem
Epic folk tale treatment of the Horizon disaster
To the Light
Close encounters with the past--and the inevitable future
Castle of Thorns
The distance between here and there
Going to the Ukraine
Those Ukraine girls make me scream and holler.
Praise the Drugs and Pass the Ammunition
Regarding the War on Sanity
Mert's Mix
An appetizing Okie Rap
The Writing on the Wall
Song and video about visiting my dad's old home place.
The Foundation
a momentary detour on the way into town
Guantanamo
Still relevant, eighteen years later