INTRO: Em7    C  B7  Em  G

                   Am
I wrote to you somewhere in South Australia
  F                   C             G
A poet's heart in the eye of a hurricane
                                 Am
I struggle with finding words to sing these days, I said
   C                                 B7                      Em    G
As if my thoughts are waiting in the wings for the stage to clear


CHORUS:
                             Am
And you in your elegance and humour fill the room
     Em               D
Your love and your concern
     C                         B7                   C
Your anger at the injustice of man's narrowness and fear
  D             Em7         G
I thank you for being here 


                           Am
You wrote of love from the coast of Mendocino
  F            C                  G
A poet's heart crying a fighter's tears
                                 Am
The children of your body spread out across this earth
     C                       B7                 Em     G
Like messages written across time measuring the years


CHORUS:
                         Am
You in your elegance and humour fill the room
     Em               D
Your love and your concern
     C                         B7                   C
Your anger at the injustice of man's narrowness and fear
  D             Em7          G
I thank you for being here


                         Am
I heard your songs reach out to California
  F            C                      G
A poet's heart locked in the Coeur d'Alene
                                      Am
Of the old men and the booze, singing out the truth in lives
      C                         B7
Of forgiveness and loyalties to friends
                                 Em    G
Constant as the endless railroad ties


CHORUS:
                         Am
You in your elegance and humour fill the room
     Em               D
Your love and your concern
     C                         B7                   C
Your anger at the injustice of man's narrowness and fear
  D             Em7          G
I thank you for being here


INSTRUMENTAL: Am  F  C  G  Am  C  B7  Em  G


                      Am
So here we are joined finally by our words
F                 C                 G
All poets' hearts close though far apart
                             Am
I remember how you said that language is a knife
     C                               B7                     Em 
That spreads what we feel across the dry crust of someone's heart


CHORUS:
G                        Am
You in your elegance and humour fill the room
     Em               D
Your love and your concern
     C                         B7                   C
Your anger at the injustice of man's narrowness and fear
  D             Em7      
I thank you for being here