July in Oktober: Old Songs, New Songs-- 7/4

 Part of me wants to say, hey, I'll celebrate Independence Day when the friggin' Patriot Act is repealed. Part of me is a sucker for higher ideals... I was born a Pisces, but close to the cusp of Aquarius, those patrons of lofty cause (let's NOT say lost cause, here).

 I refuse to give it up, but I'm not grilling anything, you hear?

 As I eat my politcially incorrect, Monsanto-generated new Belvita breakfast cookies, (sustained energy!) I offer a pair of energetic songs I wrote during the same week a couple summers ago.


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 Mostly I hate this sweaty, awful season. The warm weather in my area has changed, becoming too warm more of the time, and I moved back here, to Buffalo, for the coolness. Too late! But certain days take the edge off, with their ripe loveliness.This came from that experience. It's sung to a sprightly, quick guitar lick with bits of flute to "bird it up."

The Freshness of the Morning

The morning sun makes me forget

What I’m supposed to do today

The morning sun makes me forget

That I don’t much like Summer

The morning sun in early Autumn

Green-gold waving blue-eyed baby

The morning sun makes me feel fuller

With a tiny breeze across my chin

Winter is moving up the queue

Low skies and shortened afternoons

But out here in my slice of blue

I cannot see it coming

The days have been too hot and tense

The air too moist, the heat immense

The crows were sliding off the fence

But I forgive it all

(instrumental with turtle flute)

The morning sun makes me think 

Hopeful dippy thoughts about world peace

The morning sun makes me think I

Could really write that one great novel

The morning sun in early Autumn

Softly tuning up the sky

The morning sun has songs

In passing glints along the shifting leaves

The days have been too hot and tense

The air too moist, the heat immense

The crows were sliding off the fence

But I forgive it all

The morning sun makes me embrace

What I’m supposed to do today

The morning sun is in my face

 And I am fresher for it 

© 2010 by Mari Kozlowski

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I'm not sure what this song was even called, (might have been The Whole Thing) and can't find the archived notes. But it speaks for itself; my answer to that short-term patriotism that says love it or leave it, and means, pretend there's no flaw or get out.

And of course, this does so in a bang-end country guitar anthem style-- what else? It's got a great hooky chorus that rings.

Some say there’s only one kind of patriot here

Some are saying there’s only one way to believe

Some scorn the hopefuls who been scraping at the doors

That always used to be open

Some say if you see a flaw, you oughta leave

But those people got it wrong, ‘cause

I believe in America, oh yeah

In her sickness and in health

I believe in America, oh yeah

As strong as I believe in myself

I was made in America, and I bear the mark of my maker for sure

I believe in America-- her mind’s a little scattered but her heart is pure

I was raised to accept a new idea, if it made sense

I was raised to accept another’s needs

I was raised in a place where people weren’t afraid to help a stranger

At the side of the road

I was raised in a land of word as deed

I won’t concede that

I believe in America, oh yeah

In her sickness and in health

I believe in America, oh yeah

As strong as I believe in myself

I was made in America, and I bear the mark of my maker for sure

I believe in America-- her body may be tattered but her thoughts are pure

 (bridge)

I won’t lie, I don’t love to watch a burning flag

But I’ll defend with every breath the principle that symbol embodies

As it falls to ash

I can’t hide my pride at the true freedom the act implies

Without that trust, the fabric is just a body bag

So let the smoke fill the sky

I believe in America, oh yeah

In her sickness and in health

I believe in America, oh yeah

As strong as I believe in myself

I was made in America, and I bear the mark of my maker for sure

I believe in America-- her body may be tattered but her thoughts are pure

And I believe that the founding parents put in words

Truths they couldn’t fit into their lives

I believe that interpretation is good

And a judgment looks better through compassionate eyes

I believe we can own our mistakes and it won’t destroy our might

What good is a strong arm

If it doesn’t help us separate our wrong from our right?

I believe in America, oh yeah

In her sickness and in health

I believe in America, oh yeah

As strong as I believe in myself

I was made in America, and I bear the mark of my maker for sure

With a natural taste for personal responsibility; the acts may be imperfect but the ideals

Pure…

I believe in America, oh yeah

Not ashamed in her sickness or her health

I believe in America, oh yeah

As strong as I believe in myself

You can come to America, and still belong, wherever you’re from

If you believe in America, oh yeah

Well, the work of true freedom has just begun…

© 2010 by Mari Kozlowski