“The Song Remembers”
1.
A song cannot be touched,
yet it is felt.
When you write a song,
you feel like you have another
valuable stone in your pocket,
even if your fingers only find
sand when you next seek it.
Songs continue to exist,
even if they disappear.
When they are unsung,
they are as real as the wind,
yet more mysterious—
Unpredictable.
They find their form,
yet stay intangible.
They offer structure,
yet can come from chaos.
Songs are not currency,
even if we sing them for our supper.
They are not poems,
even if they borrow a poetic figure.
I have concluded—accepted rather—
that songs are the highest form of art:
the calm of the lullaby,
then the beat of the death rattle.
A song is more powerful than politics
even if it does not judge, nor legislate,
nor sign an executive order.
It reigns above and lifts below; it has always,
and always has.
Our mother’s heart beat echoes in our newly
formed ears as the choir in harmony fills
the great hall of a cathedral.
We often forget the power of song,
when we need it most.
Fortunately, the song remembers.
The rest of this collection: click here
New Songs: “Free to Dream” & “DYKYFbN?”
In 2024, Ozzie Andrews, Sara Gibson, and Stuart Tucker joined me in the studio to record a song that’s waited for 20 years. I wrote “Free to Dream” after my first year teaching, and David Roof (producer) helped me make this song a nice moment to mark the end of my 20th year in education. The song is no2 on all streaming options and Bandcamp: https://mikevial.bandcamp.com/track/free-to-dream-single. We also cut a piano song called “If You Know Your Fears by Name?”: click here.
I released a new song today called “Verona”! It feels good to be creating again, my first time releasing music since I became a dad! All streaming links in comment below.
Bandcamp: click here
Spotify: click here
Apple Music: click here
Amazon Music: click here
Six-year-old artist Alton says he is now famous because he did the artwork. I reminded him more people saw his work on display at the Hands on Museum than my music channels. Note, I did pay Alton in Pokémon cards for copyright usage of his abstract work; always pay artists.
100 Years Ago, 100 Years From Now…
100 years later, we don’t gaze upon these photos of perforation with pride. We see, with clarity, those choices as misguided actions; however, we also pause, and look upon other questions:
100 years from now, what will our great grandchildren observe about our actions during this coronavirus pandemic? What will our time capsules of social media reveal about our nature? Did we protect ourselves and neighbor? Or did we pierce and puncture holes in safety, then publicly share and propagate? We all play a role in this group project.
I pray that future generations can feel pride in our next four to six months. They may applaud our miraculous, scientific speed as we vaccinate populations, but they will also note the miracles present in your daily sacrifices, your stamina, your conviction.
Our Place in the Universe this Holiday Season
