I've long listened to Carrie newcomer as a voice to be trusted. Her poetry is set to music, her music is in the words as much as the notes. Some of her best work explores our deep places where ache and longing are felt most acutely. Her words come with that gentle and humane understanding that sometimes hearts break, and aren't easily put together again.
Consolation is one of those words that sounds old fashioned, archaic, hard to use in our Twitter-Instagram-Facebook-Text saturated social media exchanges. But I like it. My equally old fashioned non-online bulky Collin's Dictionary defines its meaning: "a person or thing that is a source of comfort in a time of suffering, grief and disappointment." Some of Carrie Newcomer's songs are best described as consolation set to music. Of course, there is a much wider emotional and experiential sweep to her poetry and music, including issues of justice, peace-building, human kindness, love as so much more than romance, but not denying that either.
Once we listen to someone's work over a long time, (and my first Newcomer encounter was 25 years ago with albums like My True Name. I've learned how to listen to her and like that recent bestselling book The Poetry Pharmacy, her music is a prescription pad of medicines capable of being applied to the whole rainbow of human experiences. Including those times when our hearts need consoling.
Another word in danger of being devalued by either misuse or falling into disuse is 'comfort' The word stripped back to its original oak grain means to surround with strength, to fortify, and so to help the heart hold itself together. Newcomer's music is comfort in this strong sense of inner transformation, renewal of strength and hope, pushing back the shadows, noticing the first green shoots, pointing to the first fingers of dawn, inviting us to sing again with words that are both prayer and a recovery of thew ability to say yes.
Here are the lyrics of one of the songs that I think does this. It comes from the album The Beautiful Not Yet. It can be heard over here.
Winter is the oldest season
But quietly beneath the snow
Seeds are stretching out and reaching
Faithful as the morning glow
Carry nothing but what you must
Lean in toward the Light
Let it go, shake off the dust
Lean in toward the Light
Today is now, tomorrow beckons
Lean in toward the Light
Keep practicing resurrection
The shadows of this world will say
There's no hope why try anyway?
But every kindness large or slight
Shifts the balance toward the light
Waters wind and open wide
Lean in toward the Light
Don't just walk when you can fly
Lean in toward the Light
When justice seems in short supply
Lean in toward the Light
Let beauty be your truest guide
The shadows of this world will say
There's no hope why try anyway?
But every kindness large or slight
Shifts the balance toward the light
The prayer I pray at eventide
Lean in toward the Light
All left undone be put aside
Lean in toward the Light
When forgiveness is hard to find
Lean in toward the Light
Help me at least to be kind
Lean in toward the Light
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