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Patchwork Of Light

by Steve Zarate

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1.
HERALDS OF THE DAWN Sure, there’s much to be afraid of, reasons not to dare go on When so very much is crumbling and the life we’ve known is gone. “We are born into impermanence and sorely put upon, And yet still the light’s returning,” sing the heralds of the dawn Yes our burdens make us weary, as we age we bend down low And the news becomes more dreary, far too often teardrops flow; Yet somehow the children notice drops of dew out on the lawn “Rays of love are all around us,” sing the heralds of the dawn “When your back is bent and broken, when your engine just won’t start, When your tires are all deflated and you’ve got a broken heart Be assured, beloved sibling, that you are nobody’s pawn, There’s a better day a-rising,” sing the heralds of the dawn If it’s true all men are brothers and all women sisters too, Then I’m sure you are my family and there’s nothing we can’t do “Go to sleep and dream a good dream, when you wake up with a yawn You will find new life beginning,” sing the heralds of the dawn Sure, there’s much to be afraid of, reasons not to dare go on When so very much is crumbling and the life we’ve known is gone. “We are born into impermanence and sorely put upon, And yet still the light’s returning, And yet still the light’s returning,” sing the heralds of the dawn
2.
Vision Song 03:47
VISION SONG There was urgency then, an immediate need To settle all questions once and for all Touch and go, clutch and tear, in their hunger to feed They would rip at the root of the blue and green ball And I saw them as if on the moon looking back At their fevered desire for a piece of the pie, They were treating the world like a man on the rack There was choking and gasping all over the sky, Oil wells and projectiles and technical fixes, In search of false progress they bled her veins dry; When she cried out for mercy they brought cement mixers And joked that we all will eventually fry And she flashed like a light bulb not quite in its socket, Now off and now on as if close to exploding The more she would suffer the more they would mock it, Their gnarled red hands drunk with fear and foreboding Then appeared in my vision a rainbow of hands Stroking gently the skin of the fragile and nervous And slowly and calmly they met the demands, All colors emerging in time for one purpose And so we come, and so we go, And so the storm crashes and blows And the hands of the furies in time did recede Just as those of the patient assembled as one, And the mother of all did eventually see All her children arrive in the glow of the sun I was left wondering whether this rainbow of hands Is certain to be or just one person’s choice Either way there’s no urgency now for I know Of the power eternal that lifts every voice And so we come, and so we go, And so the storm crashes and blows And so the winds whirl to and fro And so our hands light up like rainbows
3.
BREATH OF THE SOLAR WIND Almost lost the connection, It was tenuous there for a while I was hanging on spider thread, caught like a drop of dew And I almost lost my direction, Compass thrown off by the shifting poles I was grasping at shadows, not reaching anything true Finding the strength to admit this, Moreover releasing the lure of the job’s insecurity blanket, Just like an old snakeskin Has brought me a treasure so priceless, The dance of uncertainty pulling me on To the edge of the wave on the breath of the solar wind All I ask of the force that gives me life tonight Is let these songs be like spokes on the medicine wheel, And draw the love in every heart into this circle of light So all might feel the breath of the solar wind Sometimes you need the protection Of wrapping your life in retirement plans And going along with conventional policy, And sometimes you reach a new intersection And you don’t know why, you can’t say why But you choose a new path to see where your heart will lead, See where your heart will lead, See where your heart will lead, See where your heart All I ask of the force that gives me life tonight Is let these notes be the song of the medicine wheel, And draw the love in every heart into this circle of light To help me play the breath of the solar wind So all might feel the breath of the solar wind Help me sing with the song of the solar wind So that all might know the breath of the solar wind La, la la La, la la La, Hey-yeah… La, la la La, la la La
4.
Almost Awake 05:37
See the fruit of competition compiled in old newspapers on the floor Endless patterned repetitions persist in keeping score See the puzzle in the patchwork of light all around the picture frame, There’s a presence in the air tonight that doesn’t have a name, but all the same See the fossil fuel addictions that bake the atmosphere while prices soar How they threaten our existence and all we’ve struggled for See how civilization’s coin decays, but something’s shining in its wake: A recognition in the mutual gaze that everything’s at stake, almost awake Climbing the tree of knowledge, everything at stake Climbing the tree of knowledge, almost awake See the root of love’s fruition in our choices more and more Reverberate with intuition, the ever-present door Feel new framework on the airwaves tonight reconnecting with the gardens we’ve crossed There’s a presence in this patchwork of light that understands the cost of gardens lost Climbing the tree of knowledge, everything at stake Climbing the tree of knowledge, almost awake Climbing the tree of knowledge, sacred hoop at stake Climbing the tree of knowledge, almost awake, almost awake
5.
STARTING TO UNDERSTAND Eyes on the road, watching for dangers, even while stormy winds wail Feet on the ground, smiling at strangers however lonesome the trail Hands to the plow, sowing good harvest even while shock tremors roll Shoulders to the wheel, onward and upward however costly the toll Whatever it takes, whomever it chooses, it’s time to align with love’s plan The more one holds on the more likely one loses, I’m starting to understand Nose to the wind, sensing new options even while polar caps melt Minds over matter, chunks of coal become diamonds whatever cards we’ve been dealt Whatever it takes, whomever it chooses, it’s time to align with love’s plan The more one holds on the more likely one loses, I’m starting to understand Whatever it takes, whoever’s enduring, it’s time to align with love’s plan To fill up our sails, get free from our moorings, I’m starting to understand Eyes on the prize, noticing signals even while thunderclaps roar Hearts beating strong, singing our songs out, what else can each breath be for?
6.
WAVES OF LOVE The waves of love, which now approach and wash across our beaches, Are signs of life for eyes that see the lessons such love teaches The hands of love, once washed within the waters of redemption, Can find the notes for ears to hear this grace with no exception There’s a place within your heart where Neptune’s face is clear as glass And when you find this peaceful spot the waves of love will come to pass The songs of love, now bursting forth, that reach across horizons Are symptoms of the waves of love that herald sunbeams rising The dance of love, alive within a heart that knows its purpose, Can manifest a life that’s blessed and true from soul to surface There’s a place within your heart where Neptune’s face is clear as glass And when you find this peaceful spot the waves of love will come to pass When you find this peaceful spot the waves of love will surely come to pass The waves of love, which now approach and wash across our beaches, Are signs of life for eyes that see
7.
ALL BEFORE YOU Grand inventory clearance sales, wheels of fortune, holy grails, Plush interior designs, passing signs in fleeting times, All falls away before you Yesterday’s priorities, prices dealt in jeopardy, Half-baked planning, compromise, rain check, consolation prize, All falls away before you Profit margins, payment flow, 200 bucks for passing go, Crutches, canes and plaster casts, precious art preserved in glass, All falls away before you Macho postures, tides of war, teardrops stinging open sores, Anguish in the midnight hour, righteous fury, plastic power, All falls away before you Apparently the only thing that beats inside a wedding ring Is that which calls the birds to sing, the time frame’s simply icing, All falls away before you (3x) before you, all before you
8.
Bloodstream 04:28
BLOODSTREAM Here we stand perched on the verge of something new Might be the big one’s heading straight for me and you So hard to see for sure what’s coming into sight tonight, Could it be just a trick of the light? So where were you when the wave began to break? Heading off to higher ground with everything at stake? Were we all distracted by some five-star puppet show, Mesmerized by the status quo? Veils will fall like sheets of rain, the planet’s bloodstream flows again Floods and fogs and frosts and snows, around the world her bloodstream flows Though her currents might be strong, she can carry us along It’s not too late to hear that choice, to stop and listen to her voice And maybe darkness gives the light a chance to shine, Just maybe winter makes spring possible… Is there any chance her voice and ours might intertwine? Isn’t that worth taking at all? (Repeat Chorus) When veils are falling down like rain, the planet’s bloodstream flows again Floods and fogs and frosts and snows, around the world her bloodstream flows Though her current’s swift and strong, she can carry us along It’s not too late to live that choice, to stop and listen to her voice It’s not too late to live that choice, to stop and listen
9.
Walk Lightly 04:58
WALK LIGHTLY Walk lightly, walk lightly on the land. The freeway is built on shifting sand Falling faster through the cracks The more we take without giving back When you make your stand, walk lightly On the land the people drift, they live and die and just get by And ride a rollercoaster of emotion They leap and dive in fantasy, play games with so-called history And dump what can’t be faced out in the ocean But after a while, a knock comes on the door, every last one And sooner or later the evidence amounts to what we’re here for (Repeat Chorus) Oh the sands erase construction, and waves roll over fashion, And winds whip up the moment of arrival, And flames reach for the sky, synchronized with light on high, Beckoning the keys to our survival And if you are there when the knock comes on the door you can witness the one And sooner or later the truth amounts to a candle burning at the core, Walk lightly When you make your stand it is a gift, a sacred trust, a lasting lift, A promise once embedded deep in childhood If we renounce amazing grace the sands will put us in our place Unless we listen to the lessons of the wildwood And after a while when the knock comes on the door, you’ll be the one And sooner or later there’s confidence in a way to walk forevermore (Repeat Chorus) Walk lightly on the land Walk lightly, lightly on the land Walk lightly, lightly on the land Walk lightly, lightly on the land Walk lightly
10.
POSTMODERN WATERFALL Within the capacity for feeling empty, Within the realm of running scared, Within the subdivisions reeling and abandoned We all go: this much is shared You can walk the beaches from the Keys to Barrow, The road back home can lead so far But then pressures and foreclosures can easily roll over and play dead In deference to what you really are But watch the turmoil closely, pay attention to the thunder, When you feel like ripping open let your heart direct the call Is this life a wealth of wonder or just one colossal blunder? Is there a freeway to serenity behind the postmodern waterfall? I’m stuck inside this birthday tuxedo We’re trapped within each other’s gaze Let’s grasp the moment laughingly, confound the experts, Amazing grace out of this graceless maze But watch the turmoil closely, pay attention to the thunder, When you feel like ripping open let your heart direct the call Is this life a wealth of wonder or just one colossal blunder? Is there a freeway to serenity behind the postmodern waterfall?
11.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS When we die we’re gonna all be plants Hooray! We’ll all be plants After we’re gone we’ll do the green plant dance, All us plants gonna sing and dance Up through the ground will our molecules rise, Munching on light ‘til we reach the skies Bushes and trees with our chlorophyll eye-eye-eyes Keeping our great-grandchildren high and dry Hooray! We’ll all be plants Put me away in my simple casket. I don’t care, I’m gonna be a plant Gonna be a flower in a pretty girl’s basket, Worm’s gonna turn and we’ll all be plants Up through the ground will our molecules rise, Munching on light ‘til we reach the skies Bushes and trees with our chlorophyll eye-eye-eyes Keeping our great-grandchildren high and dry Hooray! We’ll all be plants Hooray! Haven’t had such fun since before we fell, Stretch to sunshine, we’ll all be plants Roots, leaves, petals growing clear as a bell, Every cell gets a second chance Up through the ground will our molecules rise, Munching on light ‘til we reach the skies Bushes and trees with our chlorophyll eye-eye-eyes Keeping our great-grandchildren high and dry and Up through the ground will our molecules rise, Munching on light ‘til we reach the skies Bushes and trees with our chlorophyll eye-eye-eyes Keeping our great-grandchildren high and dry Hooray! We’ll all be plants Hooray! Hooray! We’re gonna all be plants! Hooray!
12.
WHEN WE ARE READY What kind of consummated image do you contemplate When you are trying to make your way out on the interstate? How can you concentrate energy with any sense of direction? How can you focus indeterminately with any hope of resurrection? What makes the image more important than the underlying theme? Can it make you feel angry, enough to throw your head back and scream? How can you take that screaming energy through pools of true reflection And weave a vibrant living tapestry with no fear of rejection? When we are ready to hear it, when we are ready to feel it Answers are provided and confusions reconcile When we are ready to clear it, when we are ready to heal it All becomes apparent in the heartbeat of a child Where are the answers to the questions that refuse to go away? Where are solutions to the problems we are facing every day? And where’s the source of healing energy? From where will come our protection? What is the secret of the waves on the sea? Can we consolidate the connection? When we are ready to hear it, when we are ready to feel it Answers are provided and confusions reconcile When we are ready to clear it, when we are ready to heal it All becomes apparent in the heartbeat of a child They say we’re living in the future now, but I think we’ve always been there But if we don’t learn to help each other out, I guess we’ll never get anywhere Feels like we’re living in the future now, we may as well have always been there But if we don’t learn to help each other out, I guess we’ll never get anywhere But when we are ready to hear it, when we are ready to feel it Answers are provided and confusions reconcile When we are ready to clear it, when we are ready to heal it All becomes apparent in the heartbeat of a child Clarification rising…
13.
SPEECHLESS AT THE SIGHT It’s easy for words to stumble, it’s enough that words be sung, But it means more when words are humble; it’s not so much in the lung But in the heart of their forgiveness that the right words make amends, Turning fools and total strangers into pure and cherished friends Many words have passed between us on the path towards this place, Words attached to all that crumbles, words eternal in their grace Were it not for these few words, how hard it would be to express The redemption once experienced through faith in love’s caress And as they fall away in the togetherness that’s growing Words that once stood in the way are now revealed within the knowing That the words that will be spoken shall be tokens of the light So that all might speak in wonder and be speechless at the sight So that all might speak in wonder and be speechless at the sight
14.
HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT If we could write a song to change the world It would happen in a heartbeat at the point where open hearts meet And show up like a flower in the springtime Emerging in the sunshine all around the world And if we could take that song around the world, It would happen in a new way with the dawning of a new day All the colors of the rainbow reconnecting With listeners reflecting on a song that changed the world If we could change our tune, why not the whole world? The song might make a difference; the tune might bridge the distance-- Who knows, but isn’t music worth the trying, And surely gratifying to all the children of the world? If we could live in peace around the world, It would happen in a heartbeat right where open hearts meet And reveal itself like flowers in the springtime, Emerging in the sunshine all around the world If we could write a song to change the world It would happen in a heartbeat wherever open hearts meet Emerging like a flower in the springtime Right into the sunshine all around the world

credits

released April 10, 2018

Steve Zarate: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonicas, Egg Shaker (1), Toy Piano (14)
Terry Douds: Acoustic Bass (1-12)
Rusty Smith: Fiddle (7)

Words & music by Steve Zarate © 2018 Water Medicine Music, All Rights Reserved. Steve plays Hohner harmonicas and an Alvarez Yairi guitar with Elixir Strings. Recorded at home studios in Athens, Ohio, USA, 2012-2017. Arrangement & Organization: Steve Zarate. Engineering, Mixing & Mastering: Rusty Smith. Graphic Design: Terry Douds/Isaac Smith. Photography: Susie Blauser. Note to DJs: 100% FCC-clean.

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