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The timing of this piece tells a lot of the story. It was early 2021 when I was doing the creative work that would eventually become Moon Song. And as we all know, at that time the Covid-19 pandemic had been ongoing for months. And even though vaccines had been released, and maybe there was a bit of hope that things would eventally return to normal, I still carried intense feelings of uncertainty and worry. I needed to create something that would calm my fears, rock me to sleep, tell me everything was going to be okay. Yes, this is the story of Moon Song. Looking back it was so inevitable. After everything we’d been through- me creating this piece was bound to happen. I needed the innocence and the peace. I needed the love and the feeling of security. I longed for it. I longed for it not only for myself, but also for those close to me and to my heart. I want them all to feel safe and to feel loved. Et voila.
And as he does, Toby wrote a poem for it and they were released together. It wonderfully captures the reassuring tone I was striving to imbue in the work. I especially love the beginning of the second stanza:
when I finally fell asleep I remember you were still talking with stars in the western sky, I remember I was hoping that you would carry us away, that I would wake by your side
Oh I feel that. There are times when all I want is to fall asleep and to be carried away and to wake the next day beside all those I love. sigh….
I also love the thru-line between that first poem and the one he wrote for our children’s book. It’s for the moon’s sake that we snuggle into bed. As if she needed that small act from us in order to keep on shining. Maybe she does? Maybe she likes to know that we’re thinking of her as we read ourselves to sleep. Regardless of if there’s any truth to that, let’s just sit with the sentiment.
~michelle
