there he sits on his corner
there’s his daily dance
i recognize his life-loved bags
i’ve memorized his hands
the cup he holds
the song he sings
when passing in my boots
i know that when he sings his song
his world is my world too

i sit in the empty middle now
in all the eyes i eye the doubt
to feel an afraid you don’t know how to soothe
is to risk an alone with a self you might lose

until now
with every low
somehow you saw me through

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

there they played once side by side
now where’s their joyful trials
fear can sometimes mask the presence of exile
‘cus there she was once mesmerized
there she’d stay awhile
shaped by trees
scraped knees
the ease
of every exchanged smile

i sit in the empty middle now
in all the eyes i spy the doubt
why we’ve been told that the air has gone sour
when you breathe into pain is when you give it less power

until now
with every low
somehow you saw me through

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

and as i watch the line up again
i hear the whistle blow

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

empty middle
© cordelia hanford foster

would you like your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

you puzzle still over a single piece
you pace the place on shuffling feet

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
we started pills
but now we reel
we feel we’ve been misled

          you like your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

you wore your keys to tell the time
you only cycle now inside

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
and say no more
to focus on life’s quality instead

                        your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

my fading light
you softly saying
your hands are so soft
it’s just amazing

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

3         4         2

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
so silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
i fear my dear
that soon you will forever go unsaid

do you want your ginger ale
or do you need to fly
down right here a pillow dear your feet up in the sky
i will tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love
be the one you’re scared you’ve lost

ale
© cordelia hanford foster

for my beloved
Granna and Poppa

there he sits on his corner
there’s his daily dance
i recognize his life-loved bags
i’ve memorized his hands
the cup he holds
the song he sings
when passing in my boots
i know that when he sings his song
his world is my world too

i sit in the empty middle now
in all the eyes i eye the doubt
to feel an afraid you don’t know how to soothe
is to risk an alone with a self you might lose

until now
with every low
somehow you saw me through

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

there they played once side by side
now where’s their joyful trials
fear can sometimes mask the presence of exile
‘cus there she was once mesmerized
there she’d stay awhile
shaped by trees
scraped knees
the ease
of every exchanged smile

i sit in the empty middle now
in all the eyes i spy the doubt
why we’ve been told that the air has gone sour
when you breathe into pain is when you give it less power

until now
with every low
somehow you saw me through

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

and as i watch the line up again
i hear the whistle blow

i don’t know how to face this though
where did all the faces go

empty middle
© cordelia hanford foster

would you like your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

you puzzle still over a single piece
you pace the place on shuffling feet

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
we started pills
but now we reel
we feel we’ve been misled

          you like your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

you wore your keys to tell the time
you only cycle now inside

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
and say no more
to focus on life’s quality instead

                        your ginger ale
too early yet for bed
be still my dear lie light here with your feet above your head
i can tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love be the source of your exhaust

sundown is a solitary space
your grapes are not lined in their place

my fading light
you softly saying
your hands are so soft
it’s just amazing

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

3         4         2

dancing silly
singing Danny
doing little joys
so silent at the dinner table
head all full of noise

i know it’s hard to say you’re scared of what’s not in your head
i fear my dear
that soon you will forever go unsaid

do you want your ginger ale
or do you need to fly
down right here a pillow dear your feet up in the sky
i will tuck the blanket round you
i ignore the cost
of having the one you most love
be the one you’re scared you’ve lost

ale
© cordelia hanford foster

for my beloved
Granna and Poppa