My family was hit tragically two years ago when my baby granddaughter Robyn died. Martin, Robyn’s other grandfather, asked if I would look at a poem he had written describing the memorial garden he had designed and built for her. The result is this song – a joint work by two people united in their grief for a baby and her family. (Written and recorded May – October 2018).
Lyrics
Like a picture from a lost children’s tale,
The brambles twist together,
Round and round, shutting out the light,
Pushing away the sunbeams forever.
My tangled thoughts of sorrow and sadness,
Are thorns that block out and blind,
Round and round, shutting out the light,
Twisting poisoned nettles in my mind.
What a waste of time and space,
Little good comes from the shade,
Clear it out, open it up,
And find the sunshine in love and grace.
But a new start has to come sometime,
Dig and scrape, cut back and lift,
Branch and vine, seeing fresh-tilled earth,
Flowering plants my everlasting gift.
Yes, I have to keep on weeding
While I’m holding back the tears
And there is grass that needs re-seeding
If the weather ever clears
While a rainbow stubbornly refuses to appear
But life goes on and the world keeps on turning
The sunbeams shine and inspire
Round and round giving out the light
The garden grows like a phoenix from the fire
What a waste of time and space,
Little good comes from the shade,
Clear it out, open it up,
And find the sunshine in love and grace.