Red Paper Box


 

I keep a key to nowhere, we used to own the door 

I keep a piece of seaglass Daddy gave me at the shore 

Here’s my picture shaking hands with the Governor 

Mama framed it but I don’t know what I keep it for 

My sweetheart gave me yellow beads on a purple string

An empty bottle of cologne reminds me of that spring 

he rode off on his big white horse, 

left me his brass ring 

It’s tangled with the necklace now I wonder what that means 

 

Chorus:

I’ll send it all to heaven in a red paper box 

let the angels sort it out and connect the dots 

Jesus, Lord, I trust You to wash out every spot 

Make a thing of beauty in a red paper box 

 

I took a man to marry and I started writing poems

 cause love’s the deepest mystery, it soaks right to the bone 

I keep this little woolen cap—our baby’s long ago— 

each day gone forever is a tear as cold as snow 

(repeat Chorus) 

 

I got a pair of old shoes that left dust tracks on a road 

I finally took them off here

there was nowhere left to go 

I keep ‘em with the seaglass, the beads and poetry

When I’m gone they’ll take this stuff and throw out everything, so (repeat Chorus) 

 

©Charlotte Ryerson

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