I’D LIKE TO BE A BIRD

If you ask me, “Honestly,
what’s the animal you’d like to be?”
I’d answer nearly immediately,
“I’d like to be a bird.”

“Why a bird?” you’d ask to me.
“Because,” I’d say, “I’d like to be
Free from the chains of gravity
that tie me to the earth.”

Oh ~ If I could take in the world from above
I think I could love it more, think I could love it more
Things always look better from far, far away
When small things don’t matter anymore

To caress the sky, so tenderly,
escaping from reality
Into clouds, but the silent peace
doesn’t last for long

Even the birds must eventually
come down again to live and to be
Part of the world, to rest and to eat,
to die, return to ground

Here, in the clouds, I will stay
Up here, this blue sky hideaway
Oh, here, wouldn’t I like to stay up here…?

Oh ~ If I could take in the world from above
I think I could love it more
Things always look better from far, far away
Distanced from self and from war

If you ask me, “Honestly,
what’s the animal you’d probably be?”
I’d answer quite reluctantly,
“I wouldn’t be a bird.”

THE LARK’S LULLABY

The sun has left the daytime sky
The world grows quiet, the moon is high
People lose themselves to dream, but I
Raise a glass and toast the night

A hundred sunrises I have seen
They greet me so familiarly
While others mourn retreating dreams
They say to me, “It’s time to sleep.”

I’m losing the night (Hours go by, relentless is time)
I’m losing the night
I’m losing the night (While flames subside, the embers glow bright)
I can’t rest these eyes

While body tires, the mind will race
Impatient heart can’t wait for day
Resolutions that hope to stay
But leave so quickly when I wake

These restless thoughts are scared to dream
Deceptive, splendid fantasies
When these replace reality
I fail to see the sun

And the lark sings its lullaby…

It will be alright.

REVERIE

Breathe slow, breathe deep
The clear, cold air seeps into my lungs
And I’m young again

Wake, wake with the sunrise
Then skate, skate with those sleepy eyes
That saw beyond the haze, dreamed of better days
When they were young

Take me back to the place
Where I learned how to fall and get up again
Take me back to those days
When I knew how to try again

This is my Reverie - finding its way to reality
This is my Melody - from a distant memory
Here I can see, here I am me, here we are free

Scrape, scrape all the snow off from your blades now
Leave the show out on that stage now, be brave now
Like when we were young

This is my Reverie - finding its way to reality
This is my Melody - from a distant memory
Here I can sing, here I am me, here we are free

Spin back, rewind
Remember the first time we loved
The wings on our feet that taught us to fly
Now that I can recall, I was taught what to do when I fall
I’ll get up, I’ll stand again - Rise

A SEED TO PLANT

I see, I see in my hand
A seed, a seed, a seed to plant
A dream, a dream lying dormant in the dark

I’ve seen, I’ve seen visions of
A tree, a tree, a tree alive
Sprouting leaves of green, it thrives, but as I open my eyes

To the vast land, desert sand, dry, parched ground
The heart is stilled by fear and is crushed by doubt

They say, “Follow your heart.” I say, “Live by the soul.”
Who knows what beats in the dark where feelings change so
To the left and to the right, wherever the wind blows
Do you follow your heart? Or live by the soul?

I know, I know in my mind
This seed I’ll sow, that in time
Will breathe, will grow, and I will follow

The dream, the dream promised
To me, to me long ago
Although it seems too much, too big, too wild, too far, too gone

Yes I see that vast land, desert sand, dry, parched ground
The heart is stilled by fear and crushed by doubt

No, I can’t command the clouds to rain
Order the sun to hide its face
Or tell the world around me to change
In the scorch of the day

WALK OUT ONTO THE WATER

I’ve been stuck on these waves for forever on this broken boat with no rudder
Just the wind in the sails, blowing somewhere on a course set for nowhere

When the storms, they threaten to shake me, I’m unafraid - I know they won’t break me
This boat was built to float; I’m not afraid of sinking, but I’m not going anywhere

Stuck in this rut of passivity, afraid of going somewhere I’m not s’posed to be…

So I’ll walk out onto the water (Take my hand)
Leave this broken boat behind (Trust my plan)
And as I get farther and farther away (Just come to me)
The fear, which kept me long confined will disappear (I’m right here)
As I set my gaze on you
No, I won’t take my eyes off of you

There I see you standing before me with your arms outstretched toward me
The endless blue extends; it doesn’t seem to end, but I have put my hope and trust in you

For I know that I won’t
Be able to stand on my own
My eyes will remain on you still
And you won’t let me drown

Dream - EP
released September 20, 2019

written and produced by Coral
co-produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by Masaki at One Way Studio in Benicia, CA

album art by Trisha Chan

Instruments:

Coral - lead & backing vocals, piano and additional instruments
Masaki - acoustic guitar on "I’d Like to Be a Bird" and additional instruments on "Reverie" and "The Lark’s Lullaby"
Theo Ma - viola on all songs and acoustic guitar on "Reverie" Jeff Campitelli - drums and percussion on songs 1 & 3-5
Matt Bissonette - bass on songs 1 & 3-5
Stef Burns - electric guitar on songs 1, 3 & 5
Tim Lee - electric guitar on songs 3 & 5
Peppino D’Agostino - acoustic guitar on songs 3 & 5

This project would not have been possible without the talents and generosity of these people and the support and encouragement of many others, some who have been there from the very beginning and some who have come alongside me at different points in the process ~ thank you, thank you, thank you.

And for my part, all glory and thanks be to God. Blessing beyond blessing, a dream come true.