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The Midnight Contingent

by Cheshire Moon

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1.
2.
Come One, Come all, to the carnival Where embers and cinnamon play Come in and wander, over and under While paper birds sing in their cage Through tents in stripes of black and white You’ll find wonders both magic and strange Be assured if you wish to return We’re only a wish away For you see, my dear It’s oh so clear Nothing’s quite as it seems For with the dawn we will be gone For we are the Circus of dreams A willow tree sighs as blue butterflies Hover round silver flame Unfinished statues still captured in stone Look closely, you might see them change Wishes captured and written on leaves Red as the Harvest moon Lions grin and fires spin In the colors of a pale afternoon For you see, my dear It’s why we’re here Bouncing your heart on a string But with the dawn we will be gone For we are the Circus of dreams Candles burn down and firelight dies the dawn climbs its way to the sky And with its first light our fancy takes flight For we are the creatures of night But as silence sets over the path you may look back to see a pair of wide green glowing eyes staring back with glee For you see, my dear It’s oh so clear Nothing’s quite as it seems For with the dawn we will be gone For we are the Circus of dreams Yes with the dawn we will be gone For we are the circus of dreams
3.
Call Me Home 02:41
I was born at the foot of a mountain But now the mountain calls me home I hear its voice upon the winds As o’ver this world I roam No matter where I journey on There’s just one place I call my own And one day I’ll get back to it I know I cut my teeth on the desert floor Took my first steps on the back of a horse Watch storms roll down The canyon walls at night Where eagles cry and lion’s roar The mark of the hunter on my door I give thanks for their sacrifice As I leave mine behind I was born at the foot of a mountain But now the mountain calls me home I hear its voice upon the winds As o’ver this world I roam No matter where I journey on There’s just one place I call my own And one day I’ll get back to it I know Daddy taught us to carry light Wherever we may go So Tawa knows just where I am For to his light I’ll always hold Where water’s more precious than gold By firelight the stories told Of why the trickster Howls at the moonlight What secrets this old world may hold All I’ve learn, I still get cold For of that sea of sand I’ll never get my fill The fires burn, the peoples dance I know one day I’ll have my chance For the mark of the Hohokam I carry still! I was born at the foot of a mountain But now the mountain calls me home I hear its voice upon the winds As o’ver this world I roam No matter where I journey on There’s just one place I call my own And one day I’ll get back to it I know I was born at the foot of a mountain
4.
Deep in the valley lay a wood that’s under guard By centaurs fast and satyrs with their cloven hooves as hard As ice and fire, but I’ve a weapon all my own My arrow is temptation set up a bow of bone Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight Won’t you spare a breath for me Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight You see ‘Cept a bear-girl up a tree Am Tooth and girl and softest fur claw so sharp and sweet Shining claws and ebon paws soft as a Selkie Beware the bearskin maiden who stalks the ebon wood I’ll take your truest measure and sheath thy sword for good I’m the smallest of the garrison but I never lose my prey If your intentions are true you may live another day I am the beast in skin so fine I am the breath of Beltane fire the taunting dance of love divine dark and sweet as deep desire Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight Won’t you spare a breath for me Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight You see ‘Cept a bear-girl up a tree Give in to invitation come sleep on softest fur And know that in the morning alone you’ll be for sure But when you leave this wood you’ll not be the same For my prey I never lose upon your flesh my mark will stay Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight Won’t you spare a breath for me Oh, hunter of the evergreen You know not what you see There’s nothin’ in these woods tonight You see ‘Cept a bear-girl up a tree
5.
Listen close, When you close your eyes Is the night breathing around you Or is something alive? You’re almost asleep, But you come up so quick Is it just an open window That breath on your neck Don't look now Is it nightmare or something more If you dare to stop running Will you open up that door? It's never clear but always there Oh, what's it all about Well the hard part about a nightmare Is you never find out Your eyes fly open The room almost looks the same Can you finally take a breath When you think it’s just a dream? For dreams are a place Where the world is not the same But if nightmares are just dreams Would they really need a name? Are you alone Or is there something waiting, hiding Just out of sight There’s nothing below…. Or did something in your mirror Wink it’s eye? You bolt up But how do you know what is real Is reality about the things You can only see and feel You swing your legs over Just ready to stand Until something flicks your ankle And at last you understand Don't look now Is it nightmare or something more If you dare to stop running Will you open up that door? It's never clear but always there Oh, what's it all about Well the hard part about a nightmare Is you never find out Well the hard part about a nightmare Is you never find out
6.
Morrighan 02:01
Three faces, five forgotten roads Seven sisters, nine ways home Light the lantern, book unfold We call to thee, oh Queen of Crows Lady of fire Lady of sword Lady of silence Lady of stone Maiden of moondark Of blood and bone We are your shield maidens Steadfast as stone Priestess of silence Of secrets unknown We are your sword Your staff, your own Crone of the cauldron To which all return We stand at your hearth With a lesson well learned Your cry is herald To the doorway beyond Clearing the pathway To those who journey on Fire, fury, staff and stone Known by all who dream Blood and beauty of the veil Welcome the Phantom Queen Phantom queen, we welcome thee Above, below, so mote it be
7.
A bag of dreams rattled at her side And she clutched it to her chest For she knew this night would be A fearsome kind of test A craggy oak sat gnarled and angry Struck by lightning long ago And against its trunk an old man stood With a face only her dreams seemed to know… Pappa Legba stood at the crossroads Child would you take a chance on a game that time called old? Tattered dreams hanging from the cottonwood Would could you find your way Into the Boneman’s dance Would you call his name? Roll the bones… Child, what brings you here To see me on this night? For many walk the Way, And would give Ma Chere a fright She reached into her father’s pouch And pulled a single bone Fat and cracked and broken, She whispered, ‘Because he’s gone…’ Child would you take a chance on a game that time called old? Shattered schemes hanging from the cottonwood Child, would you know the way Into the Boneman’s dance Will you know just when To take that chance? Roll the bones… Pappa threw his head back In a laughter that shook the earth ‘you have the tools to aid you You just don’t’ know their worth Indeed I know your father, child And I’ll always call him friend But his day is past, your time has come For journeys of blood never end In a single breath she stood alone Upon the darkened road The gnarled oak before her Stood silent, still and cold She laid that fat and broken bone Upon that tree so wild She turned away No longer a child Light upon your feet Never on the road You cannot trust your eyes Take a step, and only then will you know… Roll the bones
8.
Persephone 04:36
I am the herald of the winter Guiding the autumn from the summer sun For I am the maid They thought was stole away But they forget I had a choice For I am the bringer of springtime My mother, the goddess of the earth But o’er the fields I tread Amid the silence of the dead I live in the one place I have a voice No mistake could be unmade A curse is only evil if you fear it So many fear the touch of death Fear the one who walks beside him Every woman has her secrets Some are gem and some are stone Though I’m remembered in the autumn They only talk about my fall Fruit pulled from trees as I was pulled below You see, I outgrew the expectations Of a world that only sees a fragile flower Though I cannot forsake my name I will light the harvest flame Sometimes the darkest love is sweetest of them all No mistake could be unmade A curse is only evil if you fear it So many fear the touch of death Fear the one who walks beside him With all growth there is pain Harbinger of ice and flame (And the mercy of the spring) I sleep among the living I walk among the dead I live for revels of the seeds of red! The dead bring the flowers of the mourning I plant them in my love’s dark meadows There they grow while I am gone Though not as bright as first begun For this place, Apollo’s touch will never know Queen of Death’s domain, I am consort Halfway between the darkness and the green This maiden stands as Crone Life and death are all my own A sweet and stained and fascinating rose No mistake could be unmade A curse is only evil if you fear it So many fear the touch of death Fear the one who walks beside him Fear the one who walks beside him Fear the one who walks beside him Autumn knows my name
9.
The mad hatter was patient zero No one knew at first But Alice knew something was wrong When the March Hare growled a curse (he said) Your head is filled with sweet, delicious Cleverness, so bright Deary me, you’re late for tea! Won’t you stay for a bite? The table gathers flies and bees The Red Queen’s garden’s gone to seed For now there is no time for tea For Alice in Zombieland The white rabbit took to chasing dogs That chewed on his good leg For it may be there’s no rest for the weary But here there’s no rest for the dead Now the house of cards is tumbling down Caught in winds of change The White queen sits on a throne of bones Wondering what a difference one day makes The Vorpel blade went Snicker-snak But no head came Galumphing back ‘Cause the Jabberwock took it for a snack As night fell in Zombieland The Dormouse finally has Something more to say Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee One lump or two How do you take your BRAINS….. For so many who’d lost their minds They made some easy prey But a smiling cat said, ‘Imagine that, You may just win this day But in the end just remember Not to lose your head There are fates far worse than death When you wrestle the restless dead Off with your head means something new Oh what’s a poor lost girl to do But make the undead rue Sweet Alice in Zombieland
10.
Not sure what you're looking for Mirror glass upon the floor Your heart runs cold against the night And leaves you with naught but fright For out of broken mirror drifts a figure gold and green But when you see those eyes of pitch You're sure to see Loki loves you Loki loves you Loki loves you Better hold on tight Your altar of Amber Your cloak of red Got more than you asked for But you made your bed You wonder why the wolf Never lost his wooded way He always had the ear Of the trickster stars, and he'd say Loki loves you Loki loves you Loki loves you And it's love at first bite Sacrifice to bless the stones Blood and sorrow, laughter cold Touch that brings the air to bite Ages old and sweet and spice Drink of the wine Tis no poison cup But for his certain hunger It's never enough Loki loves you Loki loves you Loki loves you It's gonna be a long long night
11.
Ghost Train 03:11
When the night is sharp and quiet and the wind blows just right The crossing at the tracks goes red, and the ground shakes like a leaf on fire Finding the wayward passing souls trying to find their place The Ferryman of the river Styx mans a different chariot these days Wood and water to glass and steel That old steam engine just won’t yield It’s got a job to do and so it goes The Ferryman keep us on time Conductor on this one-way line The oldest of the rivers still will flow No matter how powerful or how rich the life you lead By and by we all end up with a front row window seat For there’s a stop for old time heaven and a stop for Shangri-La And the Valkyrie stand ready at the stop for Valhalla Wood and water to glass and steel That old steam engine just won’t yield It’s got a job to do and so it goes The Ferryman keep us on time Conductor on this one-way line The oldest of the rivers still will flow When Atropos says, ‘end of the line.’ and let’s those scissors snip Your silver ticket comes to be in the Ferryman’s cool grip Step aboard, your fare is paid sit back, or go explore Cause the ride that ends a lifetime is a boneyard with four on the floor Wood and water to glass and steel That old steam engine just won’t yield It’s got a job to do and so it goes The Ferryman keep us on time Conductor on this one-way line The oldest of the rivers still will flow
12.
Banshee 03:58
The only thing certain in each life is death As sure as each heartbeat and every last breath The cry of the Banshee each soul must heed But who in this world calls for me? Yes, who in this world calls for me? I came to the bedside of a long suffering child What I found was a vision with voice clear and mild She sang like the river as it flowed through the vines Then she saw me and asked ‘is it time?’ ‘Can you take me instead?’ leave this child behind I know that you’ll take me well before my time Whatever it takes, I will go in her place!’ Without fear her decision was made. The only thing certain in each life is death As sure as each heartbeat and every last breath The cry of the Banshee each soul must heed But who in this world calls for me? Yes, who in this world calls for me? I watched o’er this family for thousands of moons But ne’er have I taken one lovely as you I wonder as a I wander would you stay a while with me Before I release you to eternity She had one condition her love she would see But I would not come for him for a half century She swore she would follow by my side she would stay But when I reaped her she’d go with him that day The only thing certain in each life is death As sure as each heartbeat and every last breath The cry of the Banshee each soul must heed But who in this world calls for me? Yes, who in this world calls for me? I herald each death she would sing to each soul I made death complete but she made each death whole Her song was of hope and that death was no end But I wonder could I start again? True to my word on the day that he passed I brought her to his bedside as he breathed his last He rose into her arms but his eyes filled with fear He knew what I was and why I was here I joined their hands and bid them adieu I could do no less for I loved her, too I know I am needed on my path I shall stay But I’ve sung none but her song since that day The only thing certain in each life is death And I shepherd each soul from their very last breath The song of the Banshee all fear you’ll not need For one in this world sang for me Once one in this world sang for me Once one in this world sang for me
13.
Beware what lives beneath the bed with claws that swipe and snare But with kitchen knives we protect the lives of the children in our care Long ago they came from deep below took young ones from their beds Until the first bear took a stand and then took off a head! Nighty Knight, sleep tight We won’t let the dragons bite We don’t run and we don’t fear We won’t let the monsters near Some bears pass from hand to hand generations we’ll defend We fight until we’re naught but patches and old fluff and spare thread You see we’re made in China or Thailand or Taiwan But we are ancient sorcery, the oldest magic made of love! Nighty Knight, sleep tight We won’t let the dragons bite We don’t run and we don’t fear We won’t let the monsters near Mister Cuddles swung his knife with the greatest skill Koshmar, King of Monsters thought he’d won when Cuddles fell But Cinnamon stood up and said not tonight, you scum We don’t die, we multiply we’ll take on all that come! Nighty Knight, sleep tight We won’t let the dragons bite We don’t run and we don’t fear We won’t let the monsters near We go through buff bear boot camp before we hit the shelves Unless you go to build-a-bear then those guys all train themselves! We take down imps and goblins and bleed them into dust We’re rough and tough with sweet-smelling fluff to keep our one promise! Nighty Knight, sleep tight We won’t let the dragons bite We don’t run and we don’t fear We won’t let the monsters near
14.
Horizon 02:54
My desert home deserted me Replaced with trees so green Until the sun grew cold Stark amid the great white winds They cracked beneath the snow I needed something stronger, And so I sought the waters of The North Just in time to have my world Volleyed back and forth I’d sought the hearts of others But their eyes were far too cold And on their wind lay madness songs That I could find alone The horizon is a kindness only travelers can know And I would be the one to call it home The revels brought you to me Colors, sweet cacophony Of laughter in those eyes I thought I dreamed of long ago You sat amid the silence As my battlements wound down And you caught all the pieces before they hit the ground I’d sought the hearts of others But their eyes were far too cold And on their wind lay madness songs That I could find alone The horizon is a kindness only travelers can know And I would be the one to call it home Mountain trains and fire blaze Beloved faces, laughter, pain Storms unchained The years roll on like starlight That the sun cannot assuage Looking back at footsteps Paired with mine but not my own I understand the lesson I had missed for far too long I’d sought the hearts of others But their eyes were far too cold Only in yours did I see songs That I could not find alone The horizon is a kindness only travelers can know Will you ever be the one to call it home? Will you ever be the one to call me home? For I know you are the one that I call home My home….

about

Cheshire Moon would like to thank:

Xap, as always, for giving us our name.

Susan, Amy, Andy, Beth, Donna, Gary, Gustavo, Isaac, Jared, Jason, John, Jonah, Justin, Katt, Lesley, Nate, and Reilly for making music with us.

SJ Tucker for her love and support.

Everyone who has ever given us a place to play.

Everyone on Kickstarter, we couldn’t have
made this without you.

credits

released April 22, 2017

Vocals & Violin - Lizzie Crowe
Guitars & Voices - Eric Coleman
Bass - Jared Coleman
Drums - Gustavo A. Rodriguez Diaz
Guitar on Loki Loves You - Donna Miller
Accordions on Circus Of Dreams - Gary Hanak
Piano on Banshee - Jonah DeGeest
Vocals on Circus Of Dreams - Leslie Hudson

Recorded, produced and mastered by
Donna Miller at the Record Mill in Ames.
Artwork by Sarah J Obomsawin
Fallen Angel Studio & Production
sarahobomsawin.portfoliobox.io

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about

Cheshire Moon Ames, Iowa

Cheshire Moon is a fanciful melding of trickster bird Lizzie Crowe and mad hatter Eric Coleman.

These two-time Pegasus Award recipients are part of the growing music genre known as MythPunk, bringing old gods and folk tales into modern day, and bringing faerie tale princesses into the light of dark magic.

They weave journeys of song and story, bringing their listeners along for the ride.
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