Tennessee Madonna

You're a cousin to the mountains
And a sister to each pine
You tremble like an ever-flowing glass of wine

You like sand instead of carpets
With a thousand watts of Sun
And quick wingbeats in place of clocks
To tell your time

You're at home on any hilltop
But you cry on Ferris wheels
And you lose yourself
In other people's lives

Oh, my Tennessee Madonna
Country daughter of the plain
Your days revolve in crystal worlds
Of falling rain

My altar is your slanting knees
Where I whisper my nightly thoughts
Yet I never, never fear the flame
That burns inside

There are children lost inside of you
Just waiting to be born
As a happy compromise
Of you and me

You're at home on any hilltop
But you cry on Ferris wheels
And you lose yourself
In other people's lives

Oh, my Tennessee Madonna
Country daughter of the plain
Your days revolve in crystal worlds
Of falling rain