Ahna Phillips "Hanabi"
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01. Hanabi

Hanabi, flower fire
In the night sky, it’s raining fire
I recall the weeping willow trees
They swirl so lithely and green upon the breeze
Now the mirror of sky sets them dancing in light
Every color shimmers in a prism of white
Bright as candied apples from the fair
Jewels of light spin sweetly through the air
They flicker and fall at last into the lake
But my spirit still sparks with beauty – it’s wide awake
Hanabi, flower fire
In the night sky, it’s raining fire
It’s raining fire

02. Daffodils

Your love is sweet as daffodils in spring
And shiny, like a ruby ring
And to me it is a precious thing
Your love is soft, like a robin’s wing
Yet mighty, like a royal king
And to me it is a blessed thing
Your love surrounds me from sky to ground
Spring always comes around
Your love is sweet as songs that children sing
And shiny, like the moon glowing
And to me it is a precious thing
Your love is soft, like whispering
Yet mighty, like lightning
And to me it is a blessed thing
Your love surrounds me from sky to ground
It always comes around

03. Praying for Snow

Dishes piled high, and I
I don’t have the strength to care
Day at school is through and I’m home
I’m gonna curl up and sleep,
maybe watch TV, ignore
all the calls on the phone

And I need someone to rescue me
I can’t lie anymore say I’m fine
All I want is a day that’s white
I feel dark as an old coalmine

Days become weeks and then
weeks are months. I’m on
auto-pilot again.
Friends might drop by, and it’s
nice of them to try, but we
don’t get much past “hi”

And I’m praying for snow
To come cleanse us all
I’m gonna pray for the subtle
and shadowless light
that comes on the day that it snows

I need someone to rescue me
I can’t tow the same old line
All I need is a day that’s white
And some time to clear my mind

04. I Should Not Be Amazed

Can’t you see I would have loved you
‘til way beyond your hair turned grey?
Don’t you know I’d have stood by you
when the sky turned black and rained?
I heard the beating of sparrows’ wings
when I put my ear by your heart
I should not be amazed
that you have flown away,
but I am

I did not step on any sidewalk cracks
At least, I tried real hard to avoid them
I wished on every lucky star at night
I wish I may, I wish I might
But I heard the beating of sparrows’ wings
When I put my ear by your heart
I should not be amazed
that you have flown away
But I am…
Oh, I am.

05. Epiphany

I want to give you gold
but all I have is straw
I’d like to bring your perfume
but what I had is spilled and gone
You lead me on like a shining star
I see you glimmer far away
and I keep walking on
If I seek then I will find
is a promise that I live upon
You lead me on like a shining star
All I want to be is where you are
You’re the Morning Star
Shine your light on me
You’re the Brightest Star
Shine your light and make me free
You lead me on like a shining star
All I want to be is where you are…
Shine on, my Star.

06. Goldfish

(La-dee-dah…)
I watch my goldfish gobble their food
I know they’re oblivious to the outside world
And they don’t worry about my friends or me
To them we seem unsinkable
I look at others around me
They seem so strong, and I feel so weak
But I don’t see in the dark of their hearts
And the hurt that lies quietly there – it’s unspeakable
(La-dee-dah…)
So I watch my neighbours like my fish watch me
They seem invincible and so I don’t see
The potential shipwreck that drifts upon
the frail confines of life,
or that the boundaries of love
are unreachable

07. A Major Work

(words by William Meredith;
used by kind permission of the author)
Poems are hard to read.
Pictures are hard to see.
Music is hard to hear.
And people are hard to love.
But whether from brute need or divine energy
At last the great sloth heart will move.

08. Sweet Pea

There’s a fine line between laughing and crying
There’s a short breath between living and dying
And I know it’s true, it’s what we all come to
But right now it seems so far away
I can hear you say…
Close your eyes now, whisper close to me
I’ll say my promise, and you’ll say yours, Sweet Pea
And the dragonflies, the telephone lines,
The river sighs your name
And the soft white light sparks in your eyes
The road we travel for miles and miles
Saying…
Close your eyes, now, whisper close to me
I’ll say my promise, and you’ll say yours, Sweet Pea
Oh, close your eyes now, whisper close
Close your eyes now, whisper close
Oh, close your eyes now, whisper close
Close your eyes now, whisper….

09. In the Golden

It’s easy to start things –
A song, a walk, a love
But it’s hard to keep going
When that first spark is gone
Like a promise bright in winter
That’s faded come the spring
Or those words you whispered to me
You don’t know what they mean
I want to be there
I want to be there
In the golden
In this distant city
So far from where you are
I recall what I wished for
Under those glowing stars,
Oh, under those glowing stars
I want to be there
I want to be there
In the golden
I want to be there
In the golden…

10. Cittera Interlude

Ching Ching Ching Ching Ching...

11. Lullaby

Darkness spills its ink
Across the page of sky
It’s time to go to sleep
Baby, close your eyes
Do not be afraid
Sweet child of tears
Night is not dark at all
To the angels here
Oh, angels are here
When the morning comes
You will no longer weep
The sky will glitter gold
But for now, sleep
Baby, sleep…

"Hanabi" - The Japanese word for “fireworks” (literally translated “flower fire”) connotes for this collection of songs the idea of fireworks as one metaphor for artistic expression – a great burst of light and beauty that illuminates things in life, if only for a moment….

Produced by Kevin Clay & Steven Wilson

Recorded, Mixed, & Mastered at Flickerlight Recording Co.
& The Park Studio Nashville TN

All songs written by Ahna Phillips
for Dulcimer Damsel Music (c) 2005 ascap
except "Daffodils" by Ahna Phillips & Kevin Clay
Sadley Doolittle Songs (c) 2005 ascap