Precious Time
Precious Time
Filmmaker, Beth Harrington, has made a fabulous documentary of the history of the Carter Family, the first family of American country music. It’s called The Winding Stream (check it out!). I went home after seeing it screened at the Boston Film Festival and AP, Sarah and Mother Maybell seemed to channel Precious Time through me.
Walking down an old familiar path
On a cloudy afternoon
My weary mind wandered here and there
And everywhere saw gloom
So I missed the pretty flowers blooming on the vine
Lost a precious hour of time
It went slipping through my fingers
Because time it does not linger
And that moment will never again be mine
Time, precious time
You can’t see it you can’t hold it
And there ain’t no one can own it
So beware and take care of your precious time
I remember my babies tugging at my sleeve
Saying “Mama, come with me,”
And just like that I turn to them and say
“I’m so busy, can’t you see”?
And now those little girls have babies of their own
Left childhood far behind
It went slipping through my fingers
Because time it does not linger
And those moments will never again be mine
Time, precious time…
I’m still walking down that old familiar path
In the autumn of my days
And when I look and listen with all my heart
I find myself amazed
I see the raindrop on the petal of the flower on the vine
It fell from that cloud on high
I feel them slipping through my fingers
In my sweet time that does not linger
Each moment that will never again be mine
Time, precious time
You can’t see it you can’t hold it
And there ain’t no one can own it
So be aware and take care of your precious time