A Song of Thanks, Remembrance and Commitment

It's too easy to raise a glass and toast the memory of those lost too soon; it's harder to carry their visions forward.

Updated: Wherever you are, and whatever you do, I hope you regularly find time to pause and embrace your loved ones, and also embrace the memories of those no longer at the table - taken from our familes and communities before their time.

As the decades flow, the gaps in our human fabric widen - from the family to the town council to our schools and businesses and bands. I’ve thought about this a lot of late, having seen far too many around me killed by cancer or other ailments with, of course, vexing randomness.

It wasn’t easy, but I recently wrote a song about this as part of a songcrafting workshop I’ve mentioned before, at Bagaduce Music down the road a ways in Blue Hill, Maine. A key takeaway is to go beyond raising a glass and voices - to seeing what you can do to carry forward the work and visions of the departed.

You can also download the audio file on revkin.bandcamp.com or watch and share the video on YouTube.

Let me know what you think. This is a rough recording - I’ll be doing an album-worthy version with some harmonies this winter - but it gets across the basics.

Good Souls

©2024 Andrew Revkin

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

The quiet ones who’d never mind

A temper lost or a word unkind.

Who’d lend a hand, lend an ear,

Watch your back, ease your fears.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

Who’d douse a fire, fix a tire.

Join you in a midnight choir,

Firm friends who’d lead us from behind

But fate took them before their time.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

Some were healers, some connectors,

Some were builders, some were menders.

All gave a little more than they had to.

But they still left some work for us to do.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

I have my list of names.

I’m sure you have yours, too.

Let’s raise a glass and voices

And see what we can do

Not just to honor those who’ve gone,

but see their visions through…. (rousing finish)

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

Here’s to good souls taken far too soon.

As I wrote, I have my list of names; I’m sure you have yours, too.

Here are just three of many gone too soon from my circles - Amy Lipton, an environment-focused art curator and co-founder of ecoartspace; John Teagle, a wonderful musician, rock historian and community leader in our former Hudson Valley town; and Derek Wilson, an artist, activist and mentor of the Henaaksiala/Haisla peoples of the Kitlope River valley in northern British Columbia.

John Teagle, Amy Lipton and Derek Wilson

Here was a moment from the fine memorial celebration we had for John last year.