There are certain things about existence that people will cite as reasons to feel insignificant. The incomprehensible scale of the universe is one. The vastness of the sea is more knowable, though just enough to provide a visible reminder of how small we are. But small has never meant insubstantial to me. As I hummed and murmured one day beside the ocean I’ve known since I was a child, it occurred to me that–at least in this corner of spacetime–the song we were making together was something unique. The waves had never crashed in just this way, on just this shore, to all but overwhelm the particular overtones of this one little voice. That may be of no consequence to anyone but me and her, but it was truth–the kind of truth that helps me to feel at home in the universe, not alone, not apart.
lyrics
When I worry I have nothing new to say
I go and ask the ocean
with her everchanging song
and she says oh, my daughter--
do it anyway.
I have listened just a while
I have sung so very long
But when you sing with me, it’s something I have never heard before
The ringing of the rocks around the waves upon the shore
There is a voice that wakes the water in your veins
And brings to life all breathing things
It shifts and shapes, it moves and makes, it bends and breaks
And takes its place here
Forevermore
When I fear that I am drifting in the dark
I look out to the stars,
alone and shining distantly
And they say oh, my darling,
hold on to your spark
what you touch is changed forever
though you may not always see
But from the highest places, all your hidden colors show
The fire in your eyes will set the universe aglow
There is a brightness that surrounds you like the dawn
And it goes on and on and on
And love creates the light that takes a human shape
Its ways to wander
Itself to know.
credits
from Courage, Dear Heart,
released November 3, 2023
Summer Russell - lead vocals, guitar
Jen Distad - bass
Jen Midkiff - harp, harmony vocals
Lauren Oxford - harmony vocals
I could listen to Lauren sing forever. Her writing is vivid and sensitive, sweetly and painfully human--never apologizing for sharp corners and rough edges. The beauty of her spirit shines through. Summer Russell
Singer-songwriter Henry Parker puts his own spin on the classic sounds of '60s and '70s British folk on this wilderness-inspired new LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2021
