Alivia Biko: Music

• MP3 short clip, hi-fi play (broadband)
• MP3 short clip, lo-fi play (modem)

I was first given the poetry of Joan Walsh Anglund when I was in a recovery group in the 1980's. This song came easily as I pieced parts of a few poems together. I sang it a few times at a local coffee house, and a friend of mine came to like it very much. I came upon some dark times-- deep depression and spiritual crisis. I was suicidal, and was hospitalized. For a time I would not let anyone visit me because I felt so ashamed. When I did, my friend came to visit me. First thing she did was to have me hold out my hand and she put a thimbleful of snow into my hand. The cold and the wet reminded me of the words of this song. For a few moments all the questions and fears stopped. I remembered the lines: "A cup of sun, a daisy, a thimbleful of snow, a leaf turned red from frost's first touch, this much of God I know". It was enough to know a thimbleful of snow. Then my friend proceeded to let me know in no uncertain terms that she thought it stunk that I considered her my friend and didn't let her (or anyone else) know how deeply distressed I was-- and that I had almost hurt myself physically without letting anyone know, without reaching out to anyone. At first I was really angry with her for "yelling" at me when what I wanted was sympathy. Then I realized that her anger was expressing her love. I chose to let myself feel loved.

The art of life is to love deeply,
Yet to remain free
Even as the flowers of spring,
And the trees of the forest,
All life reaches toward the light,
Reach always for the light,
It is your source, reach for the light
All other things melt away,
As do the winter snows…

(CHORUS)
In the end there is only love,
In the end there is only love,
In the end there is only love.

Every tear I ever cried,
Turned to a pearl before it died.
Every pain that in me burned,
Forged to wisdom I had earned
I have bravery to spend on pain,
I have faith to wall up fear,
I have courage to fight
danger when it comes.

One seed can start a garden,
One drop can start a sea,
One doubt can start a hating,
one dream can set us free.
A cup of sun, a daisy,
A thimbleful of snow,
A leaf turned red from frost’s
first touch,
This much of God I know...