from Unreleased

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In this terrarium lives a librarian

Spending her money at the grocery store

And there at the grocery store, out from the register

Comes a quarter that she's seen before

When she was young she carved a smile

On President Washington's jawbone

And that same quarter last touched her hand

When it bought her an ice cream cone

All those years just disappear

As she remembers watching

The man at the counter who took her quarter

And saw George Washington smiling



Back in her mind after all this time

Back in her hand is the memory

Back in her life is the childhood smile

Back from a lifelong journey



She carries the groceries with just one hand

One hand holds her childhood

Walking along by the ice cream store

That's boarded up with plywood



Back in her mind after all this time

Back in her hand is the memory

Back in her life is the childhood smile

Back from a lifelong journey



Safely locked in a jewelry box

The smile on the quarter is fading

Dead as a worthless drop of lead

Only alive in trading

So what can she do with a childhood smile

And what do you do with a treasure

Same as you do with the love you get

Give it away with pleasure

In this terrarium lives a librarian

Sending her quarter on a trip once more

Into the register goes the quarter

That shows George Washington smiling



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© David Wilcox, all rights reserved