O Daedalus, Fly Away Home

For Maia and Julie)

                       Drifting night in the Georgia pines,
                       coonskin drum and jubilee banjo.
                               Pretty Malinda, dance with me.

                       Night is juba, night is congo.
                               Pretty Malinda, dance with me.

                       Night is an African juju man
                       weaving a wish and a weariness together
                               to make two wings.

                       O fly away home fly away

                       Do you remember Africa?

                               O cleave the air fly away home

                       My gran, he flew back to Africa,
                       just spread his arms and
                               flew away home.

                       Drifting night in the windy pines;
                       night is laughing, night is a longing.
                               Pretty Malinda, come to me.

                       Night is a mourning juju man
                       weaving a wish and a weariness together
                               to make two wings.

                               O fly away home fly away