Bessie Branham Park: Green Heart

Lyrics

[Intro]

Bessie, your park at 2051 Delano Drive,
green lung breathing since 1968.
I come to you in the late afternoon light.

[Verse 1]
The gazebo stands here, wooden heart of the field,
its slats worn from summer concerts in July,
when local bands tuned strings under your shade.
Bessie Branham, early 20th-century teacher,
you shaped minds in Kirkwood's segregated rooms,
now this space bears your name, a quiet monument.
I sit on the bench, green-painted and steady,
watching dog walkers loop the paths at 5 PM.

[Chorus]
Oh gazebo, you gather us,
under oaks that predate our streets,
crepe myrtles blooming in humid air.
Your stage holds the laughter,
the strum of guitars,
the scent of cut grass and sunscreen.
Bessie, we breathe you in.

[Verse 2]
Playground swings creak in rhythm nearby,
children climbing slides, their shouts mixing
with distant barks from leashed pets on the trails.
Families spread blankets for picnics,
watermelon slices sticky in the 85-degree heat,
lemonade sweating in plastic cups.
From porch to park, the flow is seamless,
neighbors waving across the grass.

[Chorus]
Oh gazebo, you gather us,
under oaks that predate our streets,
crepe myrtles blooming in humid air.
Your stage holds the laughter,
the strum of guitars,
the scent of cut grass and sunscreen.
Bessie, we breathe you in.

[Bridge]

They say a time capsule lies buried under one oak,
sealed by schoolkids in the 1970s,
waiting for 2070 to spill its secrets.
What did they hide? Notes from your legacy,
Bessie, educator against the grain.
The park remembers what records forget.

[Outro]

As sun dips, your green heart pulses still,
porch lights flickering on nearby bungalows.
Goodnight, Bessie Branham Park,
we'll meet again in the morning dew.