THE LOST WORDS BLESSING
Enter the world with care, my love
And speak the things you see
Let new names take and root and thrive and grow
And even as you travel far from heather, crag and river
May you like the little fisher, set the stream alight with glitter
May you enter now as otter without falter into water
Look to the sky with care my love
And speak the things you see
Let new names take and root and thrive and grow
And even as you journey on past dying stars exploding
Like the gilded one in flight, leave your little gifts of light
And in the dead of night my darling, find the gleaming eye of starling
Like the little aviator, sing your heart out to all dark matter
Walk through the world with care, my love
And sing the things you see
Let new names take and root and thrive and grow
And even as you stumble through machair sands eroding
Let the fern unfurl your grieving, let the heron still your breathing
Let the selkie swim you deeper, oh my little silver-seeker
Even as the hour grows bleaker, be the singer and the speaker
And in city and in forest, let the larks become your chorus
And when every hope is gone, let the raven call you home
Karine Polwart, singer, songwriter, musician, and, in this instance, a collaborator with others to make this blessing. They all got together and made songs and music based on a beautifully illustrated book called ‘Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane, and illustrator, Jackie Morris. Their thoughts and songs are in a book called ‘The Lost Words Spell Songs’, and their songs are on a CD which is in the book. ‘The Lost Words Blessing’ is the last song and it breaks my heart and fills me with love and hope all at the same time! I feel it stands as a piece of poetry even if you haven’t heard it sung (but I would urge you to hear it). Karine herself says: “We gathered our blessing together round Jim’s piano in just over an hour. And we offer it both in hope and light, and in grief for the losses and dark times yet to come.” Song and words contributed by Isla Blair.
The Lost Words Blessing can be heard here on YouTube