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Open The Gate

by Sense Of Wonder

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1.
Lift the latch, there’s no more halting now Now you know my heart, so take my hand, let’s start out walking With the sweet taste of waking, your smile on my lips The sun winks and slips her way on tiptoes Tossing her dancing light through the leaves at your window We throw off the blankets and night tucks her sand in the pockets of her moon robes Vanishing into the brightness Open the gate love, pull me spinning into the arms of a new day Open the gate, mmm. . . gimme some laughter, You’re making up the way Secret door, we crawl down through the floor, the tunnel twists — there are roots in the ceiling, and frogs on the rocks They point the direction, because they can’t talk We’re believing in symbols, forgetting the clocks Our feet quick and nimble, dancing out of the box The dark makes me tremble, but we’re giving off sparks We stay safe as a thimble in our bright red socks Oh my darling, my darling, I’ll give you Clementines and ripened rhymes for breakfast I am yours and you are mine, I think we’d better duck fast ‘Cause the time flies buzz around our heads Try to infect us with real life dread and deadlines But I hope you’re listening this time Open the gate love, I’ll pull you spinning into the arms of a new day Open the gate, mmm . . . shining brightly, discovering the way Over pebbles to the lake, the small waves breaking The water is warm to our waists, to ease the aching The day is kind and calm and waking And you hold my hand here
2.
Denmark 03:23
Denmark ain’t so far away, I could get there in a day Just pay the price, get on the plane and fly Denmark ain’t so far away, I took a map out yesterday How I hate to hear you say goodbye Tivoli’s a piece of Eden and there’s that brand new bridge to Sweden The Little Mermaid’s gone and lost her head Things I try to think instead Denmark ain’t so far away, but here it’s Independence Day I hear the fireworks on the Mall were cool Denmark ain’t so far away, the legend seems to point the way A thousand miles are just an inch of blue After work I drive home slow. There’s nowhere that I need to go I know everything will be all right. I hope I dream of Denmark through the night Denmark ain’t so far away, I could get there in a day Just pay the price, get on the plane and fly I hope I dream of Denmark, dream of you in Denmark I hope I dream of Denmark through the night
3.
Shining 04:07
So much fog that sunrise formed a blinding white band across the horizon In between the grey of sky and ocean And the light’s diffused, it’s so used to the call of many voices It goes shining out, shining out, shining Shining, shine shining, shine Your hand is on the small of my back and our talking turns to life-boat rafts That will not save us should we fall overboard So I try to ignore the small warmth that is your hand But too far from land this heat expands and it’s shining Shining, shine shining, shine Pulled in two directions, the cradle rocks under the moon Twins move in separate ways, our hearts’ path is hewn in two But I’m traveling to the city my eyes gather their blue As part of me stays on these north highways watching for you, watching for you Watching for you People can say this is all past tense As your face fades with time and distance, but you know legends grow from just a brief glimpse of Something beautiful, something strange And if I ever see your face again, you know my eyes will be shining Shining, shine shining, shine
4.
The crowd had thinned as she strode across the square, He said, “I watched you taking the city. I think you are so beautiful in brown my dear. I am not fit for a queen. But I drew the bird that brought you here. I was wondering if you might stay There he stood sun reflecting in his eyes as he awaited her reply She said, “I first saw you at the top of that wall, the crowd was all rushing by I wouldn’t have even noticed, she sighed, “But then suddenly this hush and a quiet chord was ringing through me The bravest thing is to stand alone in the light, stripped of your shell Admitting that you’re not so sure you turned out right Defenses dropped, the jay-bird’s heart, how you can see it beating It won’t be all curls and tail-coats gusting For there’s work and acres of dreams in our hands Love is not a metal that fears rust, it’s the promise of dry land And when our work takes us far across the sea Two hands joined as wings we will follow in our freedom Our freedom, free
5.
In the fire of the year, we gather here To offer thanks for the bread and the beer Made from the grain we sowed in the spring Symbol of life turning, Symbol of life turning In the fire of the year we gather here Sun-brown faces, earth-stained hands Compelled by the sun, released by the rain We are the grain. We are the grain. We are the grain With sun-browned faces, earth stained hands With Autumn upon us, we look to the land To the green of the corn and the gold of the wheat With grace from the heavens, our harvest is sweet With grace from the heavens, it’s sweet Sow from your harvest, give of your gifts Swift is each season’s refrain Yours to remember, yours to sustain Compelled by the sun, released by the rain We are the grain, born from the seed We give of ourselves to others in need Planted with promise and bound by the hour We come here in joy aware of our power We come here in joy and power
6.
You never can see the witch but you know she’s always waiting To numb the broken heart, to nerve the brittle will You never can see the witch, but her name goes before her Calling through the empty, you simply can’t ignore You never can see the witch, but for explosions of color In the mist-drenched trees, smoking prisms in the leaves You never can see the witch, but her laughter lengthens with the shadows Thickening, quickening as the sun goes down I am a peddler, I don’t deal in spells, but beautiful bottles I sell Dust off the age, hold it up to the light, its just glass filled with water, colored and bright, Catching the glow of the sunlight You never can see the witch, for the darkness grows around her Flooding through the fragile and filling up your head You never can see the witch, with grief wandering wild You’re searching for a vision, but nothing lies ahead You never can see the witch, but the townsfolk venture in Foregoing light and reason their problems for to plead You never can see the witch, but you often see the damage In the glassy eyes and wild hands, the payment craving cure I am a peddler, I don’t deal in spells, but beautiful bottles I sell Dust off the age, hold it up to the light, its just glass filled with water, colored and bright, Catching the glow of the sunlight Won’t you come on by? And if you sit, we’ll talk a bit, and tell all the stories we know Solid and true, the words changing hue, This laughter we choose, it’s a magic we all can do Not hidden in trees, but out in plain view It’ll help you through You never can see the witch but you know she’s always waiting To numb the broken heart, to nerve the brittle will You never can see the witch, but her name goes before her Calling through the empty, Are you really so empty? Just dust off the age, step into the light, the air is clean and bright Your heart may be hurting, but you’re healing inside, I see the strength in your eyes, I see the laughter inside I see the light from the sky
7.
I see your light in the window , Your body’s reflection is hiding the night I can’t even see down to the street, where an hour ago I waved hello to your Silhouette up in the window An over-tipped taxi-cab pulls from the curb Not even aware of the plane in the air, where an hour before I knew for sure that Down among thousands of windows One light shines brightest, waiting for me The hour may be late but you are awake, yeah, I close my eyes, imagine that I… I see your light in the window, Your body’s reflection is hiding the night I can’t even see down to the street, where an hour ago, where an hour ago . . . I waved hello Oh, it’s good to be home All the days and the distance are swept away, swept away Oh, it’s good to be home Some feelings should swallow you whole Hello
8.
True Love 03:42
I'm gonna take you out, I'm gonna hold your hand I'm gonna rub your feet, I'm gonna be your man I'm gonna make you so happy for the rest of my life I'm gonna shovel your driveway, gonna split your logs I'm gonna fly your kite, I'm gonna walk your dogs I'm gonna be there with you, for the rest of my life It ain't all kisses, honeymoon wishes, Baby, I'm here to stay Romance is fine, I'll be your Valentine But true love happens every day I'm gonna save my money gonna buy this house Maybe build another cabinet and catch that little mouse I'll be your handy man for the rest of my life I'm gonna draw your bath, I'm gonna wash your hair I'm gonna match the socks and fold the underwear I'll keep everything tidy for the rest of my life I'm gonna join the church and drive the kids to school Pack their lunches and make up some rules I'll be a family man for the rest of my life I'm gonna meet the neighbors for a potluck dinner Gonna play some cards, I'm gonna be the winner 'Cause I'll be your partner for the rest of my life True love happens everyday, True love happens everyday True love happens everyday, True love happens everyday
9.
Not A Rocket 02:39
I’m not a rocket, I’m a hot air balloon I’m not reaching for the stars, just a panoramic view I’m not lost in the clouds, I won’t lose sight of the ground When I sing to the canyons, I want to hear the echo sound With a fair gust of weather, I will untie my tether And float like a feather away At the whim of the wind of the day When I wave from my basket I want to see folks waving back at me I want to keep an eye on my shadow Passing over the forest and the trees Go around the world in eight hundred days My journey’s got no destination, Well I’ll never be late With a fair gust of weather, I will untie my tether And float like a feather away At the whim of the wind of the day I’m not a rocket I’m a hot air balloon I’m not reaching for the stars Just a panoramic view
10.
11.
Willow 04:26
What is Love that weaves together the summer sun and autumn leaves A fleeting day of warmth and color framed in frost, sweet memory May you have strength of the weeping willow May you bend to the wailing wind May you stand, chin to fiddle ‘Til broken sky will dawn again What is Love that trades the singer for the bow across the strings Each relies upon the other though one must rest while one still sings What is Love that rules the heavens, the moon eclipsed just when she’s full Then shrouded in her lover’s shadow, she must emerge and still be whole
12.
Anne Stanton 03:44
It was 50 years ago Anne Stanton made that dive, On that night she saved her life, this was no suicide The summer sky was heavy as she climbed up high Her heart was heavy, but the moon shone so bright Alone against the sky, she drew a breath and centered every energy on leaning out and pushing off the edge She was pushing off the edge And falling fast she felt no fear, her mind was closed to any but the feeling of her body bending, muscles taut, arms outstretched So claiming her decision, she split the surface sweetly, She swam back to the shoreline and was gone I wish I had that fortitude, I wish I had that vision, As claiming her decision, she dove She was claiming her decision to go It was 50 years ago, that Anne made that dive, I’m still trying
13.
Leaves 06:12
In the blue between the yellow branches leaves a trace of southbound birds I see you In the sweet decay of rain-soaked apple trees a wisp of burning oak I smell you In the season of dying, at last I remember my life In the creek beneath the rustle, fantasy in words read from a book I hear you In the lips kissed deep in dreaming early freeze, cider and pumpkin pie I taste you In the season of dying, at last I remember my heart In the breath from open windows, sweater sleeves the weight of flannel sheets I feel you And in naiveté remembered history that can but once be leaves I miss you In the season of dying, at last there’s a reason to live
14.
15.
Heavenly 07:16
Heavenly sunlight is shining through those bright white clouds and the blue sky is filling me through like glorious strains of music Music, singing of love we echo the light from above as we gather our voices together All hearts are welcome here We are spirits borne on the wind, Seedlings stirring with spring A forest formed from the ashes We are part of everything Everything comes to us from the giving We give of ourselves in creating a future we want for our children, for our wholeness Holy, the spirit of life surrounds us And poets and teachers abound sustaining our minds, They lead us to find our purpose in time

credits

released January 1, 2007

Rick & Audrey Engdahl - vocals & guitars, Rob Nicholson - drums, Mark Sylvester - bass, Clark R - piano, Dayana Yochim - cello
Produced by Tom Espinola

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Sense Of Wonder Hyattsville, Maryland

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