Women Of The World 2022

 

Women Of The World

Chris While

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Take it, the hand I’m reaching out for you to hold
Make it a bond a friendship that will never fold
And when the light goes out and you feel all alone
Just know there’s someone with you you don’t even know

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And we will all walk together
Walk together along this road
We’ll all walk together, walk together along

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Dream on, don’t give up, one day this too will pass
Stay strong, their cruel hold will shatter like glass
You had a taste of freedom, they took it away
You’re sad but you are strong and you will rise one day

And we will all walk together…

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And you will rise up, rise and hold the sky up
And we’ll all hear your voices
Singing strong and singing high

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Your right to educate yourself has been denied
You learn in shadows with your sisters you defy
Hold fast and in the sun your wings will be unfurled
And at last you will be the women of the world!

And we will all walk together…

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And you will rise up, rise and hold the sky up…

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Seventh Wave

Julie Matthews

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Let’s throw a little light in here

Even if it shows the dust that gathered

At least then we’ll be clear

On the work to be done and the things that matter

‘Cause we got a little lazy and looked the other way

But there’s a young blood army that’s coming

And we should hear what they have to say

 

Chorus

The young, the brave

They’re going to save what we couldn’t save

The young, the brave

Coming in on the seventh wave

The young, the brave

If we can just get out of their way

The young, the brave

Riding the seventh wave

 

Shut up and listen for a change

Don’t you get tired of the same old voices

With promises circling the drain

Infinite lies and limited choices

We should face it

We’ve been running this thing to the ground

But there is a young blood army that’s coming

And they could turn this all around

 

The young, the brave…

 

Get up, get out of the way

And give them a seat at the table

Get up, get out of the way…

 

The young, the brave.

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Crow

Chris While

 

Crow, won’t you fly away

Don’t come visit me today, I’m not ready

Turn around your shiny wings

Send instead a bird that sings, make me steady

I want today to be a happy day

There haven’t been that many coming my way crow

 

Crow please don’t look at me

Confirming my reality, I’m escaping

Cast your black and knowing eyes

To the dark and angry skies set to breaking

I’m really not blaming anyone

But please fly from the branches where you judge from crow

 

Yesterday the sky was blue

And I could draw such joy from you, my cocky friend

I heard you tapping on the tiles

Like Fred Astaire putting on the style

Looking like there’d be a happy ending crow

 

Crow try and understand

I’m not being underhand, I’m trying

So wheel your way back to your tree

Leave me in my misery, stop prying

Come back and see me in a day or two

Then I might be ready to receive you crow

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Starfish Thrower

Julie Matthews

 

Down on the beach for as far as the eye could see

Thousands of starfish stranded and lost to the sea

Out in the distance a woman was throwing them

One by one to the wake

An impossible task, I thought I would ask

What difference she hoped she could make

She answered while throwing one

Into the welcoming open arms of the sea

“I made a difference to that one, don’t you agree

Oh don’t you agree that it’s”

 

Chorus

One by one, this is how deeds are done

Mountains are overcome and flags unfurled

Be a starfish thrower, be a wild seed sower

For though it seems small, it isn’t at all

It all starts with this

Throwing back starfish

 

Under the weight of impossible choices

How do we make the right turn

When the road ahead is unclear

And the bridges behind are burned

Racked with uncertainty crippled with doubt

We turn every thought inside out

We try to do better keep coming up short

Oh where do we even start

Well maybe it starts with pieces and parts

And not with all that we see

The smallest of steps are still steps, don’t you agree

Oh don’t you agree that it’s

 

One by one…

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Covered in Roses 

Chris While

 

Last time I saw you, you were wearing your best smile

And you seemed to having a good day so I stepped out for a while

And I thought about the good days as the cold wind blew through

And I pondered what my life would look without you

 

You were covered in roses

You were weary round the eyes

You were making light of it all though a thin disguise

 

Your father was a coal man, came home black from head to toe

And you screamed when he kissed your face

But I know you loved it so

Your mother had a closed heart, she was bitter deep inside

And she would not let you close to her so you drew close to mine

 

You were covered in roses….

 

Would love to have known the woman

You never grew to be

There’s always something missing

The other one of me

 

You loved Elvis Presley, Me, Marvin Gaye

And we danced circles round each other on your last birthday

 

You were covered in roses…

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Beautiful Brave Tattoo

Julie Matthews

 

She wears this ink upon her skin

It clothes the warrior within

A footprint showing where she’s been

Beautiful brave tattoo, beautiful brave tattoo

 

Indelible above her heart

Where it ends and where it starts

Neither can be told apart

Beautiful brave tattoo, beautiful brave tattoo

 

There’s her mother, there’s her son

There’s her lover, a mark for each and everyone

A roadmap of her life that’s running through

This beautiful brave tattoo

 

This scar was all that remained

Something lost but so much gained

These swirls of ink can best explain

Beautiful brave tattoo, beautiful brave tattoo

 

Once the mirror showed her what was lost and what was gone

Something much too painful to look upon

Now this thing of beauty marks the victory that she won

And a life unfolding before her

 

There’s her Mother….

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Yellow and Blue

Julie Matthews

 

Heavy is the head that wears the crown

That builds the kingdom up or tears it down

That liberates their chains or keeps the people bound

Heavy is the head that wears the crown

 

Heavy is the hand that holds the key

That locks away or sets the captive free

That makes a fist in anger or solidarity

Heavy is the hand that holds the key

 

Chorus

Rise up, raise your eyes up

When you think there’s nothing more you can do

Rise up, raise your eyes up

The world is coloured yellow and blue

 

Heavy is the heart that bears the pain

That breaks a million times but still remains

That carries all their hope and never looks away

Heavy is the heart that bears the pain

 

Heavy are the eyes that will not sleep

That keep on bearing witness though they weep

That take in all the sorrow but still a vigil keep

Heavy are the eyes that will not sleep

 

Rise up…

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In Dreams

Chris While

 

Last night the sky was heavy and black

It was cold and late by the time I got back

As I fell into bed, I felt as old as Methuselah

When I lay down my head and turned out the light

I could hear wind blow in the dark of the night

And waiting for sleep I wondered how I’ve lived without you

Then the curve of your smile sweeps into my dreams

Like warm waves over the sand

And we’re laughing and joking easy and free

I can feel my hand in your hand

 

Wish I’d known you a little bit longer

But we just didn’t have enough time

Wish I’d asked you more about your life

Wish that you could have shared more of mine

But I see you so clearly when I close my eyes

Memories ripple like streams, In dreams

 

This morning I tried to dream on but in vain

I couldn’t’t sleep for the sound of the rain

And it melted away and I couldn’t’t remember for certain

And I think of you more at this time of year

When I need you most I feel you so near

Then I open my eyes and daylight closes the curtain

But these moments will pass as they always do

Like the mist clears away for the sun

And I’m grateful for knowing that I’ll see your soon

When the web of a new dream is spun

 

Wish I’d known you a little bit longer …

 

So I’ll see you again in the still of the night

And we’ll walk in the sun as I sleep

And I’ll wake with a bond that’s as strong as old time

And a love like the ocean so deep

 

Wish I’d known you a little bit longer ..

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Embrace  

Julie Matthews 

 

It’s not the big things I miss the most

Grand gestures don’t come close

The one thing you can’t replace

The human touch, a warm embrace

 

It’s not the loss of liberty

Or the sudden lack of certainty

It’s knowing when I see your face

There’ll be no touch or a warm embrace

 

Chorus

When all this is over and done

When I’m counting my blessings one by one

My hearts own desire, won’t be so hard to trace

Your embrace

 

Every night I see your face

A WebCam is our saving grace

But when I see you my heart aches

For human touch your warm embrace

 

In this time we isolate

Ponder on our normal state

That takes for granted, often wastes

The human touch, a warm embrace

 

When all this…

 

I might hold you just a little longer than I did before

When what’s felt like forever is behind us

And I’ll fall into your arms when we can open up that door

‘Cause distance only serves to remind us

 

When all this…

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Pulling Weeds

Julie Matthews

 

Everybody’s carrying their own share of sorrow

Mostly on the inside, underneath the skin

Yesterday’s regrets fuel the fears of tomorrow

Everybody’s carrying their own share of pain

 

Everybody’s wearing their perfect disguises

That cover-up the scars and bruises without trace

We only show our strength, no flaws, no surprises

Everybody’s wearing their most perfect face

 

Chorus

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like pulling weeds

They’ll be back again tomorrow and you’ll be on your knees

Like trying to run through water getting caught up in the reeds

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like pulling weeds

 

No one ever truly wants a heart like an island

Distance is a mistress that will leave you all alone

It seems to me we’re all at sea trying to get back to dry land

No one ever truly wants a heart like a stone

 

But doesn’t it sometimes feel like...

 

The human condition, it’s flawed but it’s driven

To get up each time we fall down

Though loss and contrition abound

Hope can always be found

 

Tonight I’ll lay this weary day to rest on my pillow

And silence all these refugees living in my head

The heart will mend, it can bend strong as any willow

So tonight I’ll lay this weary day to rest on my bed

 

Cause doesn’t it sometimes feel like...

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Hollow Days

Julie Matthews

 

These hollow days, that tumble into weeks

Like dusty old antiques, that crumble and fade

These hollow days, They don’t count for much at all

Sun-bleached photos on your wall

Like looking through haze

 

Chorus

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel

It’s bright, that’s the new day that’s coming our way

These hollow days

There is a new hope, to fill up the empty

A lifeboat, To cling onto when all hope fades

These hollow days

 

These hollow thoughts, Like bullets inside my brain

They ricochet night and day, and keep coming up short

These hollow thoughts, uncoloured and undefined

No melody and no rhyme

These hollow thoughts of mine

 

But there is a light…

 

We linger longer, under the covers

Wishing the hours away

The feeling gets stronger, longing for others

Desperate for someone to say

 

But there is a light…