Desert Flowers

from the album "Old Angel"

(2010 Steve Hindalong / Terry Scott Taylor / Derri Daugherty)

Dedicated to David & Lisa and the children of the Red Sands School

Dine Bikeya
North of Winslow
Grandsons, granddaughters
Of the Navajo

They’ve known such heartache
More than they can tell
They’ve got whiskey and uranium
Poisoning old wells
And blood still oozes
From wounds of war
Here their roots run deep
In this red dirt oar
This red dirt oar

Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
In defiance of scorching suns
And prophets of doom
Desert flowers
Still bloom

Charlotte’s Facilia
Death Valley sage
They will survive the frigid nights
The wicked heat of day
With Golden Eagles
And White-winged Doves
They rise towards heaven
Forever loved
Forever loved

Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
In defiance of scorching suns
And prophets of doom
Desert flowers
Still bloom

We came to pour cool water
Over their garden bed
We came to save them
They saved us instead

Ayoo Ada Ahoni
(They are loved)
Ayoo Ada Ahoni
(They are loved)

Beautiful faces
Innocent yet wise
We saw hope and God’s glory
In the children’s eyes
In those children’s eyes

Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
Desert flowers
In the red sands bloom
In defiance of scorching suns
And prophets of doom
Desert flowers
Still bloom…