O LAND - Phyllis Sinclair

Ancestral place, motherland home 

Flesh of creation, skin of my bones    

Breath of my lungs, heartbeat of my chest  

Water and blood of those long at rest

In a rush of the four winds, I hear you come near

Without hesitation you meet with me here

Through path-parting grasses you walk to my side

Open your arms, welcome your child 

Oh land, land of my birth  

Life-giving land, life-giving worth

You run through my veins, help me to stand

Oh Land, land of my birth
In quiet communion where time has no hold

I lift you my offering, you nourish my soul

Seed of tomorrow, life blood from the past

Take in the four winds the gift of my thanks

Oh land, land of my birth  

Life giving land, life-giving worth

You run through my veins, help me to stand

Oh Land, land of my birth

Kaki nokowi uski,  kischi nokawi uski neki

Kakinow nechi  inninewuk  nekinan nitaskiminann Ke pimatisihinan

Ninanan ki chiwasimisuk Manitou  kahnaweyniminann Nininaskomitinan 

Manitou

Oh land, land of my birth  

Life-giving land, life-giving worth

You run through my veins, help me to stand

Oh Land, land of my birth

Ancestral place, motherland home

Flesh of creation, skin of my bones

UNFORGOTTEN LULLABY - Phyllis Sinclair  
Hush little baby, now don’t you cry
Gonna find you baby by and by
Won’t let you lie out in the cold

Down some unhallowed road undignified        
Unhallowed road undignified 

Miss you my babe, I miss your smile,
(I) sit on your empty bed and we talk awhile
I reach my hand out into space,
Close my eyes to touch your face, but I’m denied
Touch your face, but I’m denied 

Every night its the same old thing
Look out my window and I start to sing

Wonder which direction that I just haven’t tried

I howl, I moan, I wail, I weep, I cry
Its my unforgotten lullaby, Unforgotten lullaby
 

My little baby, where can you be?
Every night I hear you cry out, in my sleep
I sit up straight and I listen close
Was that the wind? Was it your ghost crying out for me?
Was it your ghost crying out for me? 

Every night its the same old thing
Look out my window and I start to sin

Wonder which direction that I just haven’t tried

I howl, I moan, I wail, I weep, I cry
Its my unforgotten lullaby
Unforgotten lullaby
Unforgotten lullaby
It’s my baby’s lullaby

BLANKETS AND STONE - Phyllis Sinclair           

Another one gone, another walk

One mother cries, “how can this be?”

No recompense for her star blanket son

Taken at the hand of everyone

Bang, bang - blanket and stones

No redemption when a blindfold has holes

Cover up the stain with gavels and robes

Forgive the doubt in your soul

Weigh it down in blankets and stones

River runs deep, one turns to go

Leaving one there sinking below

High cheek bone smile, put out in the night - low harmony only

No one has paid, can this be right?

Bang, bang - blanket and stones

No redemption when a blindfold has holes

Cover up the stain with gavels and robes

Forgive the doubt in your soul

Weigh it down in blankets and stones

Weigh it down, weight it down in you soul

Weigh it down, weight it down in you soul

Your child and mine, ours to defend

Children of life, of innocence

Bang, bang blanket and stones

No redemption when a blindfold has holes

Cover up the stain in gavels and robes

Forgive the doubt in your soul

Weigh it down in blankets and stones

In blankets and stones

In blankets and stones

In blankets and stones

In blankets and stones

WEATHERED WINGS - Phyllis Sinclair

She closed her bedroom window, her curtains fell in place

She straightened back her thinning hair, courage lit her face

This summer storm is nothing, I’ve lived worse through the years

The storms of life she’d weathered, made my worries disappear

She said, weathered wings still fly high

Climb the wind, sail the skies

Weathered wings, don’t ask why

Weathered wings know they’ll never learn if they never try

He walked out to the backyard, looked out to the west

He said the years that he worked the land were the years that he loved best

The South wind dried the windrows, bought hail that did them in
But, he wouldn’t change one day out there in the Manitoba wind

She said, weathered wings still fly high

Climb the wind, sail the skies

Weathered wings, don’t ask why

Weathered wings know they’ll never learn if they never try

When storms of life start blowing, bring a chilling cold

Rattles at my shallow breath, and hope that holds my soul

I look out for a reason, to catch the wind and fly
One day I’ll look back on this time and understand the why

Weathered wings still fly high

Climb the wind, sail the skies

Weathered wings, don’t ask why

Weathered wings know they’ll never learn if they never try

She said, weathered wings still fly high

Climb the wind, sail the skies

Weathered wings, don’t ask why

Weathered wings know they’ll never learn if they never try

Weathered wings

GHOST BONES - Phyllis Sinclair

Parchment ghosts ride between sweetgrass and stars

Slipping forward - on muddy roads and dusty cars 

They - shot for the moon, but their phantom autograph 

Keeps their eyes looking back, Keeps their eyes looking back 

Hallowed halls below, celebrate the lottery 

Hide the x’s, Keep the dough under lock and key 

But a five dollar bill, will never pay the price 

For a key to paradise, for a key to paradise 

Give Bones to our Ghosts, Don’t tie them to here below, 

Let them travel home 

Give Bones to our Ghosts, Let them know you know 

They paid with their souls 

They paid with their souls 

No sign the were here 

No sign that they gave 

No sign of the sacrifice they made 

Words unrealized tie spirits to the earth 

Break the shackles give credit to their word 

Hear their spirits moan for the people down below 

Show spirit riders home, show spirit riders home 

Give Bones to our Ghosts, Don’t tie them to here below,

Let them travel home 

Give Bones to our Ghosts, Let them know you know 

They paid with their souls 

They paid with their souls 

They paid with their souls 

They paid with their souls 

GOING HOME STAR - Phyllis Sinclair

Waiting for night to find my way out of the dark

Watching the sun strike sparks that turn into stars

I wait for your light to appear, beacon of the atmosphere

Going home Star

Unchanging star you carve out a path for my feet             

When I can’t find my way you point a direction for me

Hope for the lost to be found, guiding the way to familiar ground

Going Home star

Hunter and whaler, traveller and sailor know

Wait for the night time, wait for the northern glow

Leading me home, Going home star

Motionless circle of light now

No other star plays your role

On the stage of the millions of light beams

Only you in your stillness give life giving hope to the soul

Going home star, a saviour to lost down below

From stars, here we came, to stars back we will go

Gate to ones that I love, here on the earth, and those up above

Going Home Star

Hunter and whaler, traveller and sailor know

Wait for the night time, wait for the northern glow

Leading you home, Going home star

Going home star,  Going home star

Going home star

RUN BROTHER RUN  - Phyllis Sinclair

Hurry brother don’t look back, run like a deer for the woods

About this time they’ll know that we’re gone, they’re gonna do what is “for our own good”

I’m tired of working in the paid man’s field, they pay him for his so-called home

Four years working like a chain gang mule, I’m only twelve years old.

Run brother run

Up ahead in the Jack Pine, brother, wolves and the coyote bay

They’re hungry for a taste of fresh blood, brother, better save a breath to pray

Sleep will be light in that timberline, fear will chew our bones!

But, I’d rather spend a night shivering in the dark, than warm in cold, hell-hole

Run brother run

Run Brother Run, The hounds are barking at our heels

They need someone to till the fields, bale the hay, cob the corn

Work the moon and early morn, run brother run, we’ll make it home

Don’t slow down, night falls coming - to hide us from the hunter’s trail

Those thin slit eyes that stare us to the ground, won’t stop until we’re back in their hell

Ice water fills my gum boots brother, tree limbs tear my clothes
My lungs burn hot like a back-handed slap, my feet are bitter cold   
Run brother run

Run Brother Run, The hounds are barking at our heels

They need someone to till the fields, bale the hay, cob the corn

Work the moon and early morn, run brother run, we’ll make it home

Did you hear last night in the dim twilight, distant voices closing in

I swore we were found, but with howls around, we were Daniel in the lion’s den

Hackles raised up high baying in the dark, they sacrificed their skin for our bones

Now I’d rather trust a den of blood hungry wolves, than wolves hidden in sheep’s clothes

Run brother run

Run Brother Run, The hounds are barking at our heels

They need someone to till the fields, bale the hay, cob the corn  

Work the moon and early morn,  

Run brother Run, we’ll make it home, 

Run brother run, we’re almost home

Run brother run

Run brother run

Run brother run

WAWATAY EH NIMIHITOCIK - Phyllis Sinclair

Shimmering light sweeping down,
Lift my eyes to watch the milky heavens dance around

Across a freckled canvas where stars and green-eyed moon

Try as they might, can’t hold a lamp to you

Try as they might tonight, can’t hold a lamp to you

Your veil of cafe curtains light the snow

Your neon hem becomes four rivers, winding as they go

Green as a mountain meadow, white as a summer bloom

I stand below your grand display, on a night time afternoon

Stand before your grand display, on a midnight afternoon

Wawatay eh nimihitocik  (The northern lights are dancing)

Cipayuk eh nimihitocik  (ghost spirits are dancing)

Wawatay eh nimihitocik  (The northern lights are dancing)

Ispimihk (overhead)

It’s said that you’re an Earth-gone living soul

Come on down to dance a fancy dance and say hello

Wild as a rearing stallion, soft as a flowing mane

Watch you dance over the sky, move away then back again

Watch you fading out of sight, heading back to where you came

Wawatay eh nimihitocik  (The northern lights are dancing)

Cipayuk eh nimihitocik  (ghost spirits are dancing)

Wawatay eh nimihitocik  (The northern lights are dancing)

Ispimihk (overhead)

THE SAIL - Phyllis Sinclair

They say that you and I don’t work together well

Looks like you and I we have some rumours - to dispel

Different styles, different taste   

Doesn’t mean we can’t relate, we can make this better if we try

They say this boat is sinking, its just a matter of time

Split by indecision - leaky alibis          

We can do the fixing, if we stop to listen

Find a way to turn this, you and I

I’ll be the hammer, you be the nail, I’ll be the water, you be the sail

Strip old boards to save our lives, Work together, to make it right 

I will be the water, you the sail

Holes in rusty timbers, surrender the shore

Ignore the looming tempest, you suffer the storm

We can stop the drifting, if we start believing

Make this tired vessel something more 

I’ll be the hammer, you be the nail, I’ll be the water, you be the sail

Strip old boards to save our lives, Work together, to make it right 

I will be the water, you the sail

Sail on, to some where new

Sail on, me and you and…..

I’ll be the hammer, you be the nail, I’ll be the water, you be the sail

Strip old boards to save our lives, Work together, to make it right 

I will be the water, won’t let this boat go under, no-no
I will be the water, you the sail