It's only when the high winds that I wish my hair was long Sailing through the autumn leaves singin' an ancient Or falling in love in the streets at night at the edge of a square It's only that I'm here tonight I was there
There's high winds on the pier tonight, my soul from me like Thalia's Ghost south on the murky sea And into midnight's tapestry she fades, ragged and Searching down her in the costume of a Persian child
So Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, where the heron are low Echo the songs my father in the towns of Mexico
When I was young my eyes were wise, my was good to me Instead of having a flock of he had two other girls and me And if we'd used our Spanish names, the way they'd run Thalia, Margarita and Juanita, I'm the one
The screen door kept the Demons in as we from town to town hard to be a princess in the States when your skin is brown And Mama smoothed my brow, as I leaned on the kitchen door "Why do you the weight", she said "Of the and maybe more"
Gulf winds bring me fish, that shine in the crescent moon me the horizon where the dawn will break anew And cool me here on this pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my knew in the towns of Mexico
My grandfathers were ministers and it on down the line My Father preached in his parents' he was ten years and nine And dressed in parishioners' clothes and didn't believe in Hell Her fought the DAR, if he'd lived, I'd have known him well
They said, "Go a Sunday School", we must have tried them all I stole from the silver plate, my sisters had more gall One said, "Sing out loud and clear, it's the only life you've got And the next one said, "Be on earth You've another life at the of God"
And Gulf winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the moon Show me the horizon the dawn will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, the heron are flying low Echo the songs my fathers knew in the of Mexico
My father turned down many a job just to give us real It's hard to be a in the States when you've got ideals And kept the budget book, and she kept the garden too Bought from the man on Thursdays, fed all of us and strangers too
But time will pass and so, alas, will of what we know Though tonight my memory's eye is clear as the story's told And I'll play ball with the underdog and sit the child who's wrong Be still when the is silent and sing when my strength is gone
So winds bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the dawn will break And cool me here on this pier, where the heron are flying low Echo the songs my father knew in the of Mexico
Now Father's going to India, in the fall tried to stay together but you just can't do it all I'll think about him if he goes, there's a little in his hair Though not much 'cause he's Mexican, they age, they just prepare
And if he goes to India, miss him most of all He'll see me in the mudlarks' face, me in the beggar's call And Mama will stay home, I guess, and if she did wrong And I'll say a prayer for both of and sing them both my song
And Gulf bring me flying fish, that shine in the crescent moon Show me the horizon where the will break anew And cool me here on this lonely pier, where the are flying low Echo the songs my father in the towns of Mexico