[HANASHIR:13218] Re: Courage: New song lyrics.

[Scott Shuster <scott_shuster...>]

Roz,

Your song is so touching, I couldn't even finish reading it without
coming to tears.  

Do you have a recording, demo, chords or music?  I'm sure I won't be
the only one to want to hear it.


Scott



--- Ros Schwartz <ros_schwartz (at) yahoo(dot)ca> wrote:
> This song wrote itself when I woke up this morning.  I had been
> meaning to write a 
> song, but couldn't settle on a topic;  and this topic is not one that
> I had consciously 
> considered writing.  But obviously it was there to be written.
> 
> It's not overtly a Jewish song, but the themes of courage and healing
> are essential 
> Jewish themes.  And ... you are my friends, and I wanted to share
> this with you.
> 
> I feel I should include a disclaimer ... if you have been touched by
> breast cancer, in 
> one way or another, this song may resonate.  Its themes are positive,
> but it also may 
> cause pain.  So you may not wish to read it, if you are not in the
> right frame of mind. 
> 
> This song is not literally about me.  I have not had breast cancer
> myself, though my 
> mother died from it, and so many dear women that I know have suffered
> from it.  But in 
> my work, I spend much time listening to the intimate details of the
> experiences of 
> people with many kinds of challenges to their spirit.  For myself,
> singing was integral to 
> a healing of emotional rather than physical wounds.
> 
> If this song has meaning for you, please write me at
> ros_schwartz (at) yahoo(dot)ca, I 
> appreciate knowing.
> 
> - Ros
> 
> 
> 
> Courage
> 
> 
> © Ros Schwartz - December 2002
> 
> 
> Courage is not the absence of fear, but the taking of action despite
> fear.
> 
> 
> 
> Half awake she stretched herself, her hand went to her chest
> where just a week ago there used to be another breast 
> but in its place was empty space, just skin beneath her hand 
> and a change in her self-image that she did not understand
> 
> The doctors said it had to go, there was no other way
> to have a chance that she could dance at her child's next birthday
> the cancer an aggressive one and she so very young
> so many stories left to write, so many songs unsung
> 
> So she said yes, they booked a date, though fear was in her heart
> for this was just the first of many treatments that would start
> her friends told tales of courage, but fear was all that she could
> see
> for even with an absent breast life gave no guarantee
> 
> What life may bring, we do not choose;  how we act is our choice
> and part of healing is to speak, to give our pain a voice
> for courage is not lack of fear, but singing out despite
> and living's more than dodging death, it's singing through the night.
> 
> A fine scar on her gentle skin ... a wound within her soul
> she hadn't planned to think of death til she was very old
> but as she rose to dress herself and face another day
> she thought that she would start to sing and heal herself this way
> 
> Now quite awake she stretched herself, her hand went to her chest
> where in another life, there used to be another breast 
> now in its place was empty space, just skin beneath her hand 
> and a change in her self-image she did not yet understand.
> 
> ------------------------ hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> -----------------------+
>