lyrics

There are some hopes inhabiting the widest orbits
And the only way is to reel them in and swallow them like a pill
To keep them from tearing us limb from heart from mind from body from ground
Contained in ever-shrinking circles, let them be stabilised and still
It’s not the same as letting them shatter
It’s not as much as letting them go
But it stops the feeling of ever-ripping pages
Of summer-thunder rages
Reduces wildfire to a glow

And I still miss the way we were so hungry
And I will grieve for the versions of us who had to die
I sometimes wonder what their ghosts get up to
Chasing round the dark ellipses of the sky

Now the hills and valleys enfold you closer
Now I can rhyme with rocks and tessellate with trees
And I am unlearning and learning you, just as you are with me
As we brush away the scales of winter, find something gleaming green
And gravity is not a liar
See how eccentric we’ve each become
And our orbits’ intersection
Moves us in the same direction
But now I know we circle different suns

credits

from Five Thousand Feathers, released October 4, 2024
Helen Bell: vocals, organ
Xenogon: organ sound design, temperament
Words and music by Helen Bell

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