Patchwork Quilts #1

              The Old Man and the Key of Sea


“... because the damn mule lies”

He let the smattering of quiet laughter and wry chuckles die down, thinking one more time that evening that he wished his niece JJ was sitting on one of the old wooden folding chairs scattered around the basement of the Hiram Falls Unitarian church hall. She always laughed, even though she had heard his stories countless times before. She laughed and her laughter was loud and sweet and, most important for the old guy up on the stage, infectious.

“Okay folks … that's the last Uncle Ezra story for the night – I promise”

A few more chuckles and he took a sip from the water bottle on the table beside the stool where he was sitting.

“One more song then we'll howl at the moon.”

More chuckles and a few howls mixed in from folks who knew the song he always started and ended a performance with.

“This one's a new song and strangely enough, considering where in Maine we happen to be at the moment, it began as a conversation sitting in a carport, down in Florida, with a friend from Atlantic Canada. New Brunswick actually, though from his place by the water you can see the bridge to Prince Edward Island. Anyway, as I was saying...”

He cleared his throat, the cold and damp March weather hadn't been kind to him this year, and took another sip of water.

“... it was a kitchen party and we were taking a break from the songs we were singing and the guitars we were playing, having a drink and comparing our lives growing up in that part of the world. Canada for him and New England for me, and I used the word “hardscrabble” to describe my family's farm. Well, as such things often do, one word led to another and then another led to a few, my friend dearly loves to talk, unlike my shy and retiring self ...”

Pause for effect. Another sip of water. Quick adjustment on the guitar.

“... and by the time I left that night, actually by the time my friend had left since it was my place where we were sitting at the time, this song had mostly written itself. I suppose I should let my friend share writing credit – but I won't. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. It's called 'Hardscrabble Patch” The chorus's not that hard to figure out and by the end of the song I expect to hear you singing and a bit of three part harmony.”

Strum a C chord, one more quick adjustment to get in into “good enough for folk music” tune and he began.



Some went down to the sea in small wooden boats,
Some plowed the dirt on their farms,
Some worked in the woods, some worked in the mills,
Some lived out their lives in the cities and towns.

(chorus)
They all pulled together,
Faced the hardship, the tides and the weather,
With the salt in their blood
and the strength of God's earth in their bones.
A life that's unforgiving,
But a life that was damn well worth living,
and they loved this rocky old hardscrabble patch they called
home.
(chorus)

Fathers and mothers, taught the sons and the daughters
Pride in the task and the work of their hands,
And mothers and fathers held tight to each other
When the hard winds of loss blew cold in the land.
(chorus)

We owe them our lives, we owe them our homes,
We owe them the dreams that feed you and me,
They went before us, cleared a patch in the forest,
And carved out a life 'tween the hills and the sea.
(chorus)

(spoken) And now it's our turn

We'll all pull together,
Face the hardship, the tides and the weather,
With the salt in our blood
and the strength of God's earth in our bones.
A life that's unforgiving,
But a life that is damn well worth living,
and we love this rocky old hardscrabble patch we called
home …


This time the applause was more than just polite, and he smiled knowing that he had struck a chord (his puns always intended) with the crowd  and was in a perfect place to wrap things up and send folks home with a smile on their faces and humming a new tune.

“Okay folks, you know what I'm going to say. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Remember the jar by the door, it's all going to a good cause and the church ladies in back are trying to get my attention so it looks like they have some more goodies to sell for you to take with you.”

He smiled, it looked like Alice was giving him her 'special look'

“Now, are you ready to howl at the moon? Yeah, it looks like you are ...

Finest Kind