This song started because I have theological issues with that old song “I’ll Fly Away.” And then in the course of being written, it picked up an allusion to that Dylan Thomas poem you probably read in high school.
It’s my last song for #songaweek2021. I did miss one week (or was it two?) because I was on summer vacation and I’m proud of myself for being okay with that (as opposed to being okay with being proud of myself for that).
I’m gonna fly but I won’t fly away I’ll keep soaring over every blessed thing And when you feel the wind in your hair Remember I carry you upon my wings
I’m gonna die but I won’t die away I’ll keep singing over every precious thing And when you feel the music inside Don’t try to keep quiet, let the anthem ring
Go boldly into the night Death only takes your life
Go boldly into the night Death only takes your life
Time’s gonna come for every last one Finally forever to let our selves go And when we feel our last breath escape We fall on the grace of all we do not know
Go boldly into the night Death only takes your life
Don’t worry when good stories end Love always comes again
Well it’s been a busy day of holiday preparations but I kept my priorities straight and recorded my song for this week 51 of #songaweek2021. If you look closely you can see the flour on my sleeve from the pie-making marathon I had just finished.
I dedicated this song to American health care workers and educators because I’ve been thinking of them often lately in these continuing difficult times of pandemic life.
May we each and all find at least a moment of peace this holiday season, and share some good will with one another.
Merry Christmas, it’s good to feel you near me in this dark and deep Happy new year, let’s be the resolution that we want to keep
Sing for everything we’ve hoped and held Make room for everything to be lived and felt
Season’s greetings, there’s got to be some joy for everyone to find Happy holidays, we need to find some time that we can all unwind
Sing for everything we’ve hoped and held Make room for everything to be lived and felt
Peace on earth, I still believe it’s possible to get along Good will to you, the kind that sinks in deeper when you pass it on
Sing for everything we’ve hoped and held Make room for everything to be lived and felt
Every year since my youngest was five, our family has made a Christmas video to share. It’s sort of a conglomeration of Christmas card/letter, ugly sweater, and virtual caroling.
Here is our eleventh one! “Angels We Have Heard on High” has always been one of my favorite carols, and for several years now I was thinking we’d already done it. But this year I went back and checked and discovered that wasn’t true.
I appreciate each one of you who stops by this blog and wish you well this holiday season. And a happy new year!
This is quite a thought-provoking poem (of course it is, Rumi wrote it!). A creative way to look at moods, feelings, circumstances – not necessarily the only way. It’s a good balancing idea for someone who was raised to resist negative emotions, give them no quarter, don’t let them take control.
I’m fascinated with the idea of treating every new mood, thought, happening, as a guest in the house of my life. You give your attention to a guest, interact with them, ask how you may serve them – but you, as the host, remain the master of the house. So you don’t let these guests take over your life, you simply pay attention to them, treat them with generosity and hospitality, until they inevitably go on their way again.
(What I’ve found is that trying to “resist” a negative thought or emotion is really an impossibility – if it’s here for you to notice, then it’s already a reality. Of course you can keep yourself from acting on this negative emotion, but trying to pretend that it isn’t there at all doesn’t make it go away – it might just sneak in your back door and take up residence in your basement, and one day you’ll wonder, what is that awful stink?)
Things like love, joy, wealth, health are desirable guests. Rage, depression, poverty, sickness – not so much. Welcoming these things as guests feels close to the idea of loving an enemy. You are welcome here, but there are house rules, healthy boundaries, that I as the host will require.
In the act of serving a difficult guest – seeking to meet their needs, sharing conversation with them – you may come to understand them better – why they are here, what they need to move on. In the act of serving a delightful guest – turning your attention towards them – you may gain even more delight, deeper memories that stay with you after the guest has gone.
Beneath the video I’m including the lyrics I made and then the English translation by Coleman Barks that I worked from.
Each human life’s a guest house, each day brings something new A joy or a depression might come and visit you A moment of awareness, a miserable mean streak Could end up unexpectedly walking up your street Welcome and serve them all
And if a crowd of sorrows violently sweeps through And empties you of everything, still this way is true Give honor to each guest who comes into your life They could be here to clear you out to hold a new delight Welcome and serve them all
Dark thought and shame and malice, arriving in their time Meet them each with laughter, invite them in with kindness Be grateful for whoever comes, for each and every one For each one has been sent as a guide from beyond Welcome and serve them all
Coleman Barks translation: This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
Julia Bloom 