Up ‘fore the sun hits the ridge line high
With a tow sack hangin’ at my side
I walk them slopes where the shadows bend
Same ground my daddy walked back then
Through poplar, oak and hemlock stand
I read them hills like the back of my hand
Lookin’ low where the cool earth holds
That mountain treasure they call Green Gold
Seng, sweet mountain Seng
Man-root hid in the leaves and loam
Green Gold growin’ wild and slow
In the heart of these hills I call my home
You don’t take what ain’t your own
Don’t dig where you ain’t been shown
I’ll guard my patch ’til judgment day
That Seng’s my blood and bone
Now I don’t need no map nor sign
Just a sharp eye and a patient mind
When I see that fern in the dappled light
Lord, I know I’m gettin’ close and tight
They call it Seng Pointer ’round these parts
Some say Seng Sign when the searchin’ starts
Once that little green hand waves at me
I slow my step and I bend my knee
Seng, good mountain Seng
Man-root twistin’ deep and strong
Green Gold under coal-black soil
Took seven long years just to grow along
You best dig careful, leave the seed
Thank the ground for what you need
These hills don’t give to greedy hands
They remember every deed
Yesterday I found boot tracks fresh
Heel marks cut in my patch’s flesh
Leaves turned wrong, dirt tossed wide
Some fool done dug where my Seng reside
I felt that fire down in my chest
Like somebody reachin’ in my vest
Ain’t much money but it’s mine by right
Raised in fog and mountain light
I ain’t no thief and I ain’t no saint
But I’ll stand my ground, make no complaint
You come for my Man-root in the night
You best be ready for a fight
These hills raised me hard and lean
Know every laurel, every ravine
You might slip in quiet and low
But you won’t leave with my Green Gold
Seng, my mountain Seng
Man-root older than my name
Green Gold worth more than cash
It’s pride and sweat and Appalachian pain
You don’t steal from mountain men
Don’t cross that line again
‘Cause I’ll guard my patch in the morning fog
‘Til the roots rise up amen
So when that Seng Sign waves just right
In that cool September light
I’ll kneel down soft, tip my hat
Plant the berries back where they sat
This old senger’s heart runs deep
In the soil my secrets keep
Long as these West Virginia hills stand tall
That Seng’s my soul to keep
“My Green Gold” is track number 8 on the Thumper Barrel album, Bush Bond.
Track: My Green Gold
Album: Bush Bond
ISRC: QZNWX2632106
ASCAP: 935049082