One late fall, I noticed that the owners of an older home down the street, had put a religious display in their screened porch.  This display consisted of two plastic figurines: one of Mary and one of Joseph (you know, of Jesus’ fame).  The figurines were large and lit from within.  The funny thing was: the owners left this display – lit- through the fall and winter holidays and into summer, until they put their house up for sale.  When I say, “lit”, I mean twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for nearly eight months. This song began from the stimulation of seeing this scene day after day as I drove by, to evolve to include some random thoughts and observations about the little town we live in.

Mary and Joe

 

i was thinking about my life
and how birds sometimes look like leaves in flight
then i remembered what you once said
“avoid something; it comes around again and again”

so i went walking down the road
i walked past that house that had just been sold
they we’re moving out to the countryside
bought a big lawn mowe
they’ve got a lawn that’s half-a-mile wide

i think you know what i mean
you’ve got to get your hands
around some brown and green
i know you know so much more
you’ve got to get up, get out, and go

as i approached the edge of town
i stopped for a moment before i went down
past the movie theatre, three bucks tonight
and the little girls twirling around in their pink tights

down to the river where the water’s slow
trying to get through the weeds, trying to get through all that stone
on up to emmett’s and down back again
you know, i haven’t seen him in i don’t know when

i think you know what i mean
you’ve got to get your hands
around some brown and green
i know you know so much more
you’ve got to get up, get out, and go

as i was making my way back home
on a screened in porch sat mary and joe
mary and joseph are spreading their love
they got a light inside from a 100 watt bulb
the paint is peeling but the roof looks fine
there’s a whole lot of clutter but they don’t mind

i think you know what i mean
you’ve got to get your hands
around some brown and green
i know you know so much more
you’ve got to get up, get out, and go