Carolyn Currie

Lyrics

Red Light Green Light

I rest my head against a tree
Close my eyes I count to three
Turn around so fast I’ll freeze you in your tracks
And as I call out “green light!” I hear
The laughter of the kids as they near
Trying quick to pass before I catch them in their flight

Red light green light
Try to catch a jar of life
Red light green light
How to freeze a summer night

The days like pinwheels in the wind
A red and blue and silver spin
And kids grow out of spaces I didn’t know they’d filled
And up against the backyard shed
The rusty tired bikes forget
The joy of blurring spokes the rise and fall of dizzy hills

Red light green light
Try to catch a jar of life
Red light green light
How to freeze a summer night

And the warm sun smells like heaven caught in my baby’s hair
And I’ll forever hear my mother’s laughter ringing in the air

We were so full we never knew
To grab the seconds as they flew
Pin the hours down like fragile wings of butterflies
And now I feel the tree bark rough
Closed eyes, counting, try my luck
This time only calling out “red light!”

Red light green light
Try to save a jar of life
Red light green light
How keep a summer night sweet summer night.