Original song by Lyndsey Scott, recorded by Lyndsey Scott and Lisa G. Littlebird.
LYRICS
You don’t have to know the way the way knows the way You don’t have to plan the way Trust the way, feel your way The way knows The way knows The way knows the way
LISTEN
English original.
Spanish version
No hay que saber por donde ir El Donde sabe ir Sin planearse puede ir Al confiar y sentir Camina, camina El Donde sabe ir
Cycle Song of Life (The River Song) · James Durst
Wish I Were Here
℗ 2014 WorldWind
The river casts her murky eyes toward heaven
But never stops to doubt that she must roll out to the sea
And the secret of what takes her to her silence
Goes with her to her death beyond eternity
CHORUS
And the river just keeps flowin’ on and on
The sun keeps goin’ ’round to bring the dawn
And life just keeps on goin’ ’til it looks as though it’s gone
But it really just keeps flowin’ on and on
Just when it seems the night will last forever
The sun appears to kiss awake the darkness into day
And though his life is short, he makes the journey
And knows deep in his heart that there’s no other way
CHORUS
To understand the laughter of the Springtime
You have to see the summer melt away into the Fall
But ’til you’ve known the endless sleep of Winter
You’ll never hear the cycle song of life at all
When a little boy asks this question at the end of a happy day, his mother explains that the wind does not stop-it blows away to make the trees dance somewhere else.
Reassuringly, she tells him that nothing ever ends, it simply begins in another place or in another way. Rain goes back into the clouds to create new storms, waves fold back upon the sea to become new waves, and the day moves on to make way for the night, bringing the darkness and stars for the little boy to dream in.
Charlotte Zolotow’s lyrical prose and Stefano Vitale’s rich illustrations make this a beautiful celebration of the cycle of life.
Lady of the seasons’ laughter, in the summer’s warmth be near;
when the winter follows after, teach our spirits not to fear.
Hold us in your steady mercy, Lady of the turning year.
Sister of the evening starlight, in the falling shadows stay
here among us till the far light of tomorrow’s dawning ray.
Hold us in your steady mercy, Lady of the turning day.
Themes: Interconnectedness, connection, circle of life
Review by Janet Boyer on amazon.com:
“Everyone and everything-my daddy, my mommy, bugs and worms, clouds and sky, lakes and rivers, the sun and stars-are parts of the tomato you cannot see. Take away any one, and the little yellow pear tomatoes in my garden could not be.” -from the book
Little Yellow Pear Tomatoes is a delightful 32-page book by Demian Elaine Yumei examining the universal circle of life through the innocent eyes of a young girl. Inspired by the author’s youngest daughter (who really *does* love pear tomatoes)-as well as the Zen teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh-the little girl in the story marvels at all the energy and collaboration it takes to grow the tomatoes. From the earthworms who aerate the soil with their tunnels to her Mommy who weeds the garden, there are a lot of not-a-tomato things that are in little yellow pear tomatoes!
Filled with lush, vibrant illustrations by first time Mom Nicole Tamarin, Little Yellow Pear Tomatoes follows the contemplations of a little girl who see that everyone and everything brings something essential to the fruits she loves so much. Because many things contribute to the growing of the tomatoes-her Daddy who plants them, the sun which grants energy, the lakes, rivers and oceans that supply the clouds with water, and even the hearts of stars-all things are inside every little pear tomato.
Imbued with exquisite artwork and the gentle message of interconnectedness, Little Pear Tomatoes is a fitting book for such troubled times. Ever since we’ve gotten this book, my son has asked me to read it to him every night before bed. Interestingly, this month’s picture on my kitchen calendar features tomatoes of all shapes, sizes and colors, so I was able to show my son pictures of actual yellow pear tomatoes. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of-or seen-these types of tomatoes until reading this book!
While the Amazon recommendation says that this book is geared towards babies and preschoolers, the words are advanced enough to challenge the reading skills of 7-8 year olds in my opinion. This is no mere picture book
New flowers, ancient powers,
ancestors speaking to me.
Like vines intertwining,
wisdom is leaking into me.
And we are wise and we are strong.
We are humble and we come from the sun.
Round and round we go.
The sun, radiant we glow.
And we’re rising to the occasion
to lift your very soul.
We’re rising to the occasion
to lift your very soul.
The air is a singer, the fire is a song,
as sure as this earth I’m standing on.
The air is a singer, the fire is a song,
as sure as this earth I’m standing on.