In the midst of famine in Sudan in the 1980’s, everything was dry – grasses and foliage. To keep from focusing on hunger and distress, the women began to weave baskets from the dry grasses, beautiful baskets. This weekend I heard, live, a beautiful piece of music. The Famine Song, by Vida, arranged by Mathew Culloton, that describes this. I find listening to this song deeply soothing somehow. It touches within me places of injury and distress and provides a healing balm.
Here is a link to a group singing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKZN3JeyCPc
Some of the beginning words of the song are :
Ease my spirit
Ease my soul
Please free my hands from this barren soil
Ease my mother
Ease my child
Earth and sky be reconciled
And at the end :
Weave my mother
Weave my child
Weave your baskets of rushes wild
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain