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Generosity

“Cherry tomatoes on the vine” photographed by Sandy Ross Bender.
“Generosity” composed, performed, and recorded by Sandy Ross Bender with vocals (from a poem of the same title) accompanied with guitar on December 24, 2015.

I was in deep despair

For a thousand reasons

But I went anyway

To a community garden,

In a peaceful pasture

Outstretched to the treeline

Far below the the towering steeples.

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Led by Sister Ana

Who cut me a bouquet

Of brightly colored zinnias

Speckled red and white,

Magenta and yellow

Flaymboyant

Like living paper mache.

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Here, take these purple tomatoes

And these bundles of chard

From this verdant bounty

Of peppers and squash,

Melons, pumpkins, carrots, and dill

Make them into your dinner

To sustain you through the night.

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“Generosity” written by Sandy Ross Bender on August 13, 2010.

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The Devil’s Questions (Niles No. 1 A)*

“Red Devil Bat ” drawn with red colored pencil and black ink by Sandy R. Bender
* “The Devil’s Questions” lyrics sung by Hugh Stallcup and compiled in “The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles University Press of Kentucky) Riddles Wisely Expounded (Child No. 1) sung with original melody accompanied with guitar and additional guitar track by Sandy R. Bender

If you don’t answer my questions well,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

I’ll take you off, and I live in hell,

And you the weavering bonty.

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Oh, what is whiter far than milk?

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And what is softer far than silk?

And you the weavering bonty.

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Oh, snow is whiter far than milk

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And down is softer far than silk,

And me the weavering bonty.

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Oh, what is louder than a horn?

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And what is sharper than a thorn?

And you the weavering bonty.

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Oh, thunder’s louder than a horn,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And death is sharper than a thorn,

And me the weavering bonty.

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Oh, what is higher than a tree?

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And what is deeper than the sea?

And you the weavering bonty.

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Oh, heaven’s higher than a tree,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And hell is deeper than the sea,

And me the weavering bonty.

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Oh, what red fruit September grows?

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And what thing round the whole world goes?

And you the weavering bonty.

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The apple in September grows,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And air around the whole world goes,

And me the weavering bonty.

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Oh, what is wicked man’s repay?

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And what is worse than woman’s way?

And you the weavering bonty.

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Now, hell is wicked man’s repay,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

And a she-devil’s worse than woman’s way,

And me the weavering bonty.

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Oh, you have answered my questions well,

Sing ninety-nine and ninety,

But, I’ll take you off, ’cause I live in hell,

And you the weavering bonty.

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Mountain meadow song (colors in company)

“Colors in company” painted with watercolors by Sandy Ross Bender
“Singing mountain meadows” composed, performed, and recorded with guitar and concertina by Sandy Ross Bender on May 1, 202

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Flagship*

*The ship in a fleet which carries the commanding admiral.

“Flagship” composed, performed, and recorded with guitar and concertina by Sanford R. Bender on April 23, 2022
“Around the cape” Monoprint from St. Martin’s School of Art in London by Sanford Ross Bender from 1974,

**This music is also dedicated to freedom for the people of Ukraine**

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Make it a Special Day

“Make it a Special Day” composed, performed, and recorded with guitar by Sandy Ross Bender on July 30, 2016

“The joy of my life- Adam as a boy-napping and waking” drawn with a pencil in my sketchbook
by Sandy Ross Bender

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Memory of a Drowned Town

“Memory of a Drowned Town” composed, performed, and recorded with vocals, guitar, banjo, and clarinet by Sanford Ross Bender on December 30, 2015.

“A natural occurence” painted with gouache by Sanford Ross Bender

Memory of a Drowned Town

The river washed my house away,

I always liked the view.

The rocks that I had piled up,

Tumbled away and broke through.

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My cat climbed into the highest tree,

My dog just ran away.

Only the old rooster,

Took command of the bay.

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Down in the valley so far below,

Lay a wasted town.

Some people found their old row boats,

The rest must have drowned.

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We never thought the storm would come,

To our sacred isle.

This is what comes to the best of us,

When we live our lives in denial.

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Sanford Ross Bender – Copyright: 12.30.2015

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Far away from home

“Far away from home” composed, performed, and recorded with guitar and concertina by Sanford Ross Bender on April 7, 2022.
“Landscape collection” drawn and painted with ink and water colors by Sanford (Sandy) Ross Bender
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Spring morning rain (dancing trees)

“Spring morning rain” (dancing trees) painted with acrylic on paper by Sanford Ross Bender

“Lavender ” (dancing trees) composed, performed, and recorded with guitar and banjo by Sanford Ross Bender on March 31, 2022
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Good Call!

“Good Call! composed, performed, and recorded with guitar and clarinet by Sanford Ross Bender on March 25, 2022
“Clarinet Sunset” painted and drawn with water color, pencil, and crayon by Sanford Ross Bender

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I’ll make up my own mind!

“Dorrie” photgraphed by Sanford Ross Bender afew days ago.
“I’ll make up my own mind” composed , performed, and recorded with guitar by Sanford Ross Bender on March 22, 2022