in another's words

I've been introducing Baby N to my favorite music. Today we're listening to a collection of songs from the Innocence Mission. The two songs below have been especially close to my heart for years. They've taken on renewed meaning recently. Lots of things are changing in my heart right now. Meaning comes on newly - slowly and suddenly at the same time as I recognize it in a moment. Was it there all along?

Do all new parents have this feeling of shifting & fresh significance? Of change within themselves. Even as change has overtaken daily life. And the world outside starts to look different too.

"Revolving Man"

ah, revolving man,
don't you ever get ahead?
all your days are spent
in catching up the rent
ah, revolve, revolve
don't you ever get a sunday
to read the paper and jump into leaves or water?

you're laughing...

of course I'm laughing
I'm happy
to revolve around my children
to revolve around my love

ah, revolving man
don't you ever want to cry?
all your nights are spent
in catching up your breath
and the children need
well, they're always needing something
growing out of clothes they grew into yesterday

you young ones don't believe
in nothing but freedom for yourselves
where are you getting ahead to?
it's I who am sorry for you

and "god is in his heaven
all's right with the world,"


"Every Hour Here"

we ride our bikes
around the circle in the cemetery, weaving
I wave up to you on the cross
am I to come upon you suddenly, like this, forever?
happy, relieved that you are here
and I can see you

you are like the ticket-half
I find inside the pocket of my old leaf-raking coat
there all the time, all the while forgotten.
I so often seem to leave you in churches
and other islands, and on my beads
where I can see you, I can feel you

I take the ticket-half and put it on the table, saying:
"this is god, and he's here
through my comings and my goings
but I walk past the ticket-half
I walk past the ticket-half
I walk past the ticket-half
just as I've walked past the cross on our wall,"

our self-importance grows so dazzling, we don't see you
but gentle jesus, aren't you always
aren't you every hour, here?

from the Innocence Mission album "Umbrella"