lenten journal: seasons

Maybe it's not exactly the right word, but I was well into my thoughts for tonight when I realized I had already used weather; seasons will have to do. We have had a couple of early spring days here on the Shoreline, and it set me to thinking of songs about wind and rain and so forth, many of which have offered me hope and comfort over the years. The first is Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) singing "The Wind."

I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul where I end up, well, I think God only really knows . . .

Thunder shows up early in Emmylou Harris' song of confession, "Prayer in Open D."

there's a valley of sorrow in my soul and every night I hear the thunder roll like the sound of a distant gun over all the damage I have done . . .

I suppose I could do a whole post on nothing but rain songs. Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going To Rain Today."

scarecrows dressed in the latest styles with frozen smiles to chase love away human kindness is overflowing and I think it's going to rain today

The Indigo Girls sing "The Wood Song" and what it takes to weather the storms of life.

the thin horizon of a plan is almost clear my friends and I have had a tough time bruising our brains hard up against change all the old dogs and the magician

now I see we're in the boat in two-by-two's
only the heart that we have for a tool we could use
and the very close quarters are hard to get used to
love weighs the hull down with its weight

Our next song to the seasons is from Tom Waits--"You Can Never Hold Back Spring."

you can never hold back spring You can be sure that I will never stop believing the blushing rose will climb spring ahead or fall behind winter dreams the same dream every time you can never hold back spring

I had another song picked for our closing hymn, but all I could hear in my mind was

winter spring summer or fall all you have to do is call and I'll be there-- you've got a friend

Close your eyes and make it a prayer.

Peace,
Milton