Phoenix 

© Kora Feder 2017 

I saw him in Torino, scarf in his hair 

He saw me in Torino, rude foreign stare 

He forgave me of my looking, I forgave him of his grime 

He gave me his life story, in 5 minutes time 

Corner of the station, next to an empty bench 

He smelled like the Irish, smoked like the French 

He laughed at my questions, and answered them in tow 

He said I only talk to strangers, when the wind blows 

He said darling I’m a dancer, I run with the rain 

He said I could get you outa anything, maybe even pain 

They call me Phoenix, I rise when darkness calls 

And I’m coming at you with a train ticket when your ashes fall 

He told me of his childhood, his father built trains 

He said the moon had lied to him, so he went insane 

But he rose like a phoenix, he rose with a winter storm 

And he’s danced his way right through 2 world wars 

3 children, 3 women, 3 unpublished tales 

12 steps to failure, and a couple more in jail 

He likes Bach in the sunlight, Mozart in the fall 

And in spring he doesn’t like music, nope not at all 

He said darling I’m a dancer, I run with the rain 

He said I could get you outa anything, maybe even pain 

They call me Phoenix, I rise when darkness calls 

And I’m coming at you with a train ticket when your ashes fall 

I never took him up on his offer, we never waltzed in the rain 

I never gave him all of my darkness, so he never took away my pain 

I never loved him in the sunlight, I never loved him in the fall 

In fact I don’t think I ever loved him, nope not at all 

But I saw him in Torino, scarf in his hair 

He saw me in Torino, rude foreign stare 

He forgave me of my looking, I forgave him of his grime 

And he gave me his life story, in 5 minutes time 

Ballad to Feel 

© Kora Feder 2017 

Written on a screened porch on an island in Ontario, Canada. 

Burn me 

Like they do in Varanasi 

Yearn for me 

Get down on your knees 

Need me 

Make me feel like water 

Show me 

Why we even bother 

In the world these days 

We don’t feel 

We just look away 

In the world these days 

No one knows your name 

Paint me 

Let the colors fill my eyes 

Write me 

I want your words to make me cry 

Dance me 

Spin me till I’m out of lungs 

Sculpt me 

Mold me like clay under the sun 

In the world these days 

We don’t feel 

We just look away 

In the world these days 

No one knows your name 

Remind me 

To look up at the stars 

Find me 

When time has left its scars 

I will choose you 

In the darkest of times 

I will sing you 

To sleep every night 

In the world these days 

We will feel 

We won’t look away 

In the world these days 

I will know your name 

Nowhere to Stay 

© Kora Feder 2017 

Started in Florence, workshopped in Prague and Copenhagen, finished in New York City. A transitional couple of weeks, summed up somehow.

There it sits 

Half a cup of cold coffee 

With milk in it 

Take me out into the rain 

Give me to the tide 

Pour me out and tuck me in 

It’s all goodbyes 

Has been and will be 

Same old skies 

Walls and wars and running 

We all know what has to happen now 

Shut your eyes 

You’re nowhere, nowhere to stay 

And I’m no better always running away 

The station is empty without you 

The birds they know just what to do 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

Nothing new 

Steal the gold 

Tear down the temple 

Like the Babylonians 

Oh If I was medieval 

I would be 

A Rabi in a wig 

A different day 

Not much easier 

Bring on the rain 

I will take it in and 

Plant a garden because gardens 

Never stay the same 

You’re nowhere, nowhere to stay 

And I’m no better always running away 

The station is empty without you 

The birds they know just what to do 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

Nothing new 

The streets they are haunted but they’re crowded to the brim 

And the people surround me but I don’t want to meet them 

The pigeons keep pecking like they know the score 

All they want is more, all they want is more 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

I’m leaving 

There it sits 

Half a cup of cold coffee 

With milk in it 

Take me out into the rain 

Give me to the tide 

Pour me out and tuck me in 

Marigolds  

© Kora Feder 2017 

Written in Varanasi, India, whilst attempting to process contrasts. 

Shoulders ripe with marigolds 

Kite flies high above the shores 

Serenaded don’t know what for 

And there are children dying 

Interrupted by call to prayer 

There are colors everywhere 

Painted flowers up the stairs 

And there are children dying 

This is not to say 

Your troubles are in vain 

It’s only to remind you 

When impatience blinds you 

You are lucky today 

Sunrise over the river bank 

Let the water wash your sins away 

The sitar begins to play 

There are children dying 

In the ancient city of light 

Statues glowing through the night 

I never want to say goodbye 

There are children dying 

This is not to say 

Your troubles are in vain 

It’s only to remind you 

When impatience blinds you 

You are lucky today 

Anklets jingle through creaky doors 

So much to be thankful for 

Sit down now on the open floor 

There are children dying 

The spices they will melt your tongue 

Your life has only just begun 

So many verses to be sung 

There are children dying 

There are mothers crying 

There are lovers goodbying for the last time 

There are children dying 

This is not to say 

Our troubles are in vain 

It’s only to remind us 

When impatience blinds us 

We are lucky 

I am lucky 

And you are lucky today

Written In Change 

© Kora Feder 2017 

Composed after spending time in Lijiang (a city in the Southwestern province of Yunnan, China) and visiting with a man whose 1000-year-old home and the homes of his neighbors had been turned into a UNESCO world heritage site. 

A tourist what’s a tourist 

It’s a profit for a business man 

And I rent my home to a business man 

Because he pays me and I’ve got kids with dreams 

People you come from miles around 

To play dress up in my grandma’s gowns 

You read the word authenticity 

But that’s a laughing matter to me 

Oh what is authenticity? 

They carved out our lives and filled history with neon lights 

Come all you fickled fellows drink your sorrows away tonight 

In my kitchen you’ll find a bartender who knows not where he stands 

And in the back there is a jukebox it will play all your favorite bands 

I used to complain 

But they all say 

Life is written in change 

And time it never stays the same 

Back in the days the olden days 

Before business men came our way 

Grandma would sit on the front steps 

She’d see stars now all I hear is cars 

That quiet night sky is gone 

It’s here but to a different song 

The light from the clubs they will blind you 

Oh nothing but the walls have stayed true 

Oh everything but the walls is brand new 

They carved out our lives and filled history with neon lights 

Come all you fickled fellows drink your sorrows away tonight 

In my kitchen you’ll find a bartender who knows not where he stands 

And in the back there is a jukebox it will play all your favorite bands 

I used to complain 

But they all say 

Life is written in change 

And time it never stays the same 

Here I am today here now 

Just another person the the crowd 

I live in an apartment 

On the 4th floor with a big white door 

You say you’ve read all about the Naxi 

Well does your brochure talk about me 

Does yesterday mean anything in today’s history 

Does your brochure say anything about me 

I don’t think your brochure says anything about me 

They carved out our lives and filled history with neon lights 

Come all you fickled fellows drink your sorrows away tonight 

In my kitchen you’ll find a bartender who knows not where he stands 

And in the back there is a jukebox it will play all your favorite bands 

I used to complain 

But they all say 

Life is written in change 

And time it never stays the same 

Life is written in change 

And time it never stays the same