I Believe

Yesterday I read the words “I Believe” and the song kept coming to mind. Perry Como? Elvis? Frankie Laine? I’m delighted to find out it was actually commissioned in 1952 by Jane Froman and sung on her TV show. All of what I discovered, including Pierino “Perry” Como’s story as child of Italian immigrants, to be told in another blog.

Today Daily Word from Unity is Pray for Others. I am praying for a dear friend of mine who is very ill with pneumonia.

Pray for others now
Seeing them so filled with light
Spirit’s love infused.

Grateful for ER’s,
But it’s home she longed to be
Now she’s in her place.

Seeing how our breath
Is the key to life each day
With each morning’s dawn.

Sleep, she must, and dream,
Turning nightmares into clues
Of her gift on earth.

Fever, fear but faith,
Knowing she is meant for more
Sharing gifts of love.

Composers: Al Stillman, Ervin M Drake,
 Irwin Graham, Jimmy Shirl,
Commissioned by Jane Froman,
sung by Frankie Laine,1953.

Thank you, God of All,
For this Being we all love,
Healing her each day.

Once again her laugh,
Echoes through our hearts and minds,
As she sees her path.

Grateful, all, are we,
For the faith we all do share,
In the pow’r of Love.

Jan. 4, 2022: Genius Among Us

It was January 20, 2021, that many of us were introduced to the young wordsmith and change-maker, Amanda Gorman.

My heart is deeply moved to recognize the powerful light of a young woman who seems to already understand how love and compassion can heal us. As with all who seem to channel wisdom beyond their ken, Amanda is a leader for all of us, elders and youth.

I am not on twitter, so I will not be witnessing the constant depth, breadth and evolution of her manifest old soul. But in times of national anguish and personal seeking, I am relieved and joyful to know that Amanda Gorman brings us words of solace, brilliance, and leadership.

In this challenging new year of 2022, she brings hope with a new poem for a new day. Thank you, Amanda.

Cover of Time Magazine by Awol Erizku

“New Day’s Lyric”

May this be the day
We come together.
Mourning, we come to mend,
Withered, we come to weather,
Torn, we come to tend,
Battered, we come to better.
Tethered by this year of yearning,
We are learning
That though we weren’t ready for this,
We have been readied by it.
We steadily vow that no matter
How we are weighed down,
We must always pave a way forward.

This hope is our door, our portal.
Even if we never get back to normal,
Someday we can venture beyond it,
To leave the known and take the first steps.
So let us not return to what was normal,
But reach toward what is next.

What was cursed, we will cure.
What was plagued, we will prove pure.
Where we tend to argue, we will try to agree,
Those fortunes we forswore, now the future we foresee,
Where we weren’t aware, we’re now awake;
Those moments we missed
Are now these moments we make,
The moments we meet,
And our hearts, once all together beaten,
Now all together beat.

Come, look up with kindness yet,
For even solace can be sourced from sorrow.
We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday,
But to take on tomorrow.

We heed this old spirit,
In a new day’s lyric,
In our hearts, we hear it:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
Be bold, sang Time this year,
Be bold, sang Time,
For when you honor yesterday,
Tomorrow ye will find.
Know what we’ve fought
Need not be forgot nor for none.
It defines us, binds us as one,
Come over, join this day just begun.
For wherever we come together,
We will forever overcome.

AMANDA GORMAN

Jan. 2, 2022: Seeking Clarity

Tumbling back to earth,
Clarity is not so near,
But it is assured.

As the skies of night,
Wisdom comes from dark and light,
Testing patience, yes.

Now the sun is gone,
Hidden in the mists of morn,
But I know it’s there.

Like the dim lit mirror.
I can only know in part,
But I will know more.

Clarity calls now,
In these days of winter cold,
Trusting in the Sun.

January 1, 2022: Come Together

On this wondrous day,
Light shows all the path ahead
I am filled with joy.

With love as my lead,
I move out in trust and strength,
Leaving fear behind.

Losses come, it’s true,
And no one can fill the void,
But the memories hold.

And with each new day,
Being present in the Now,
New love fills the heart.

Unknown days ahead,
All I have to know I know,
Follow light with trust.

Fear pervades the land,
Just as strong the faith in good,
Love will still prevail.

As I give deep thanks,
For my life, for each new breath,
I am filled with hope.

Hope that’s strong with faith,
Not my bird of feathers, now,
But the strength of love.

No more shields and swords,
War can not our world soon heal,
Love embraces all.

Each one has her place,
Colors, races, we are one,
Strong, we move ahead.

By embracing all,
Suddenly we see a way,
Healing can begin.