Breathe in, breathe out
You know how when you are at the very limit of your ability to endure, the one thing you need to do to survive... is breathe. Breathe in, breathe out.
I have had such an emo stretch (Andy would call it 'emo' so I will) recently. Just to discover the depth and breadth and width and intensity of this ocean of sorrow, to express it and share it and be ok with others also in it. E-MO!
To make my work even more crystal clear, I was asked by our new music director Claudia last Thursday to sing a solo in the Dia de los Muertes (Day of the Dead) service today, which was the lead vocal for BREATHS (Lyrics below) by Ysaye Barnwell of "Sweet Honey in the Rock", an accapella women's group that I love.
Claudia didn't know about Andy. I waffled and wavered but decided to not tell her before the service, and to just DO it with my heart engaged but to not think about it tooooooo much. Delicate balancing, eh? Yes I totally know I could have excused myself or asked a friend (with a stronger voice, probably) to sing for me, right up to the last minute, and in fact one friend said if I got too overwhelmed by it she'd jump in. Safety Net City!! : )
So......... I did it. I love this song and its message. I sang it with a simple clear voice. Everyone in the background was doing all the rhythm parts, the bum bah da dee daah.
I did it for you, Andy my Love, to honor your memory and your gifts and the blessing of your ongoing presence in my mortal space as I take another trip 'round the sun. The dead have a pact with the living.
Here's the original, and the lyrics. Whew. I'm going out to rake some leaves, and feel the spirits of all my ancestors along with me.
Peace,Sarah
p.s. YES I told Claudia, after the service... we both wept. She has three sons that she worries about. She said thank you for not telling me beforehand... neither of us would have made it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3e-zLKyZLw
Breaths
lyrics adapted from the poem by Birago Diop, music by Ysaye M. Barnwell
(C)1980
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
Those who have died have never, never left
The dead are not under the earth
They are in the rustling trees
They are in the groaning woods
They are in the crying grass,
they are in the moaning rocks
The dead are not under the earth.
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
Those who have died have never never left.
The dead have a pact with the living.
They are in the woman’s breast,
they are in the wailing child
They are with us in our homes.
They are with us in the crowd
The dead have a pact with the living.
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
(breathing sounds: sahhh whishhhhhhhh sahhh whishhhhhhh)
I have had such an emo stretch (Andy would call it 'emo' so I will) recently. Just to discover the depth and breadth and width and intensity of this ocean of sorrow, to express it and share it and be ok with others also in it. E-MO!
To make my work even more crystal clear, I was asked by our new music director Claudia last Thursday to sing a solo in the Dia de los Muertes (Day of the Dead) service today, which was the lead vocal for BREATHS (Lyrics below) by Ysaye Barnwell of "Sweet Honey in the Rock", an accapella women's group that I love.
Claudia didn't know about Andy. I waffled and wavered but decided to not tell her before the service, and to just DO it with my heart engaged but to not think about it tooooooo much. Delicate balancing, eh? Yes I totally know I could have excused myself or asked a friend (with a stronger voice, probably) to sing for me, right up to the last minute, and in fact one friend said if I got too overwhelmed by it she'd jump in. Safety Net City!! : )
So......... I did it. I love this song and its message. I sang it with a simple clear voice. Everyone in the background was doing all the rhythm parts, the bum bah da dee daah.
I did it for you, Andy my Love, to honor your memory and your gifts and the blessing of your ongoing presence in my mortal space as I take another trip 'round the sun. The dead have a pact with the living.
Here's the original, and the lyrics. Whew. I'm going out to rake some leaves, and feel the spirits of all my ancestors along with me.
Peace,Sarah
p.s. YES I told Claudia, after the service... we both wept. She has three sons that she worries about. She said thank you for not telling me beforehand... neither of us would have made it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3e-zLKyZLw
Breaths
lyrics adapted from the poem by Birago Diop, music by Ysaye M. Barnwell
(C)1980
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
Those who have died have never, never left
The dead are not under the earth
They are in the rustling trees
They are in the groaning woods
They are in the crying grass,
they are in the moaning rocks
The dead are not under the earth.
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
Those who have died have never never left.
The dead have a pact with the living.
They are in the woman’s breast,
they are in the wailing child
They are with us in our homes.
They are with us in the crowd
The dead have a pact with the living.
Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath when the fire’s voice is heard
‘Tis the ancestor’s breath in the voice of the waters.
(breathing sounds: sahhh whishhhhhhhh sahhh whishhhhhhh)
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