The day you left, my teardrops fell
I found out the hard way
I’ve been looking for the sunshine
You’re the one that lights the morning

A cross between a movie star and a hero in a book
Your smile is like a breath of spring
And a songbird on a fencepost sings a melody
And there go all my defenses

I think I’ll dry these useless tears and get myself together
The memories that I have of then
It’s stormy weather and had to come back down
It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it

But I will always love you
Your laughter brings me sunshine, every day is springtime
No one can light up the night like you do
You made me dream

But listen and understand
You ain’t gonna be lonesome anymore
Heaven’s gates are open wide
I am a seeker, and you are a teacher

And the message is clear
That one is only poor only if they choose to be
Love is all you need to purchase the merchandise
Everything’s going to be alright

Photo by Wes McFee on Unsplash

a cento is a “patchwork” or collage poem made entirely of lines or phrases borrowed from other writers and stitched together into a brand-new work. The word comes from the Latin word for a patchwork cloak. The author adds no new words, and meaning comes from how the different voices fit. Highlight the following text o see which of Dolly’s songs these lyrics came from: Stanza 1: Yellow Roses, You’re the Only One, Light of a Clear Blue Morning, Sweet Summer Lovin’; Stanza 2: Romeo, Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home, Here You Come Again; Stanza 3: Two Doors Down, When Times Were Bad, Dumb Blonde, 9 to 5; Stanza 4: I will Always Love You, Love is Like a Butterfly, Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You, If You Hadn’t Been There; Stanza 5: Just Because I’m a Woman, Joshua, He’s Alive, The Seeker; Stanza 6: Islands in the Stream, Coat of Many Colors, The Bargain Store, Touch Your Woman

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