On December 14, 1819, Alabama

Breathed itself beautiful

 

Alabama rocked itself into beauty

like “sweet tea time” on a front porch

A rocking chair, a square wooden table

Was all that was needed

 

Sweet lemon tea what turned

Alabama from heart break soul to lovely

 

All that porch drinking

Made them souls fancy the hue of all

Alabamians

 

From sweet cream tan to chocolate brown

met along the Mississippi River

To baptize the new Alabama

Something about if you emerge the soul in water the troubling ways become lost in the

 Wrinkle  of the water—Hallelujah

 

Worlds on end saw Alabama

Shape itself lovely

 

That’s why when you riding down 65 south

You see that sign before you:

 

 “Alabama the beautiful”