Six Red Cannas

(album: The Practice Of Love - 2019)

Red cannas in the sky
Red cannas in the sky

I didn't think about it at the time
I didn't think about it at the time
But in the desert
I think I was trying to write to Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia, Georgia, Georgia, Georgia, Georgia

Like Joni Mitchell writes to Amelia Earhart
When she is driving, driving, driving in the desert
As if a song can communicate
With the spirits or awaken the dead

I mean, isn't that what it's for?
1927
I mean, isn't that what it's for?
1929, 1946
I mean, isn't that what it's for?
1976, 1980
1986, 1999
Awaken the dead

I was but wasn't quite writing
"I spotted six red cannas"
As I was driving towards Ghost Ranch
In the north of New Mexico
New, New, New, New, New, New, New Mexico
New, New, New, New, New, New, New Mexico

But I was seeing them
Red cannas in the sky
Red cannas in the sky
As they were tearing up the heavens
Opening the zipper

To let loose all kinds of spirits, of spirits, of spirits
1943
And you know, there used to be an ocean here
1937, 1924
We used to be all under water
1821, 1563
We used to be all under water
Clovis points
We used to be all under water
The Niobraran Sea
We used to be all under water
The ocean
We used to be all under water
The ocean
We used to be all under water
The ocean, in the ocean
We used to be all under water
The ocean, the ocean
We used to be all under water