Last week I wrote about winter – the cold, dark, (roughly) three-month period we experience every year as part of the planet's meteorological cycle, but also the periods of indeterminate length characterised by barren wastelands and tumultuous, stormy conditions we experience at different times in our lives with varying frequency. Seeing as we're in the last week of January, still firmly in winter no doubt, but also simultaneously starting to see the first signs of spring, this week I thought it fitting to follow up that post with a spotlight on a song I wrote a while back about the respite which comes after a winter's night.
A few days ago, while on an after-work walk, I had just enough presence of mind to look up at the sky and notice that it was the first time in so long that it wasn't pitch-black by that time, because the days, while still shorter than the nights, have been slowly but surely getting longer. As a matter of meteorological fact, it's been happening for several weeks now – we've had an extra cumulative few seconds to up to a few minutes of daylight each day, starting after the winter solstice back in December – but that's not the sort of thing you notice until it adds up, and then suddenly you can't ignore it. The upshot is that the first signs of spring following a cold, harsh winter, and the first rays of light following a long, dark night, are just about the most beautiful things anyone can experience.
This is the sentiment captured in the song, aptly named Morning Light. The timing of this post is extra special because I've just spent the last few days in the studio finalising the recording and production for this song and 10 others which will constitute my next album. Dare I say, this will be one of the songs to watch out for on the record.
As always, I'm sharing the lyrics here in line with the philosophy (and safe in the knowledge) that my song lyrics can stand alone as poetry. I hope you get to hear it in its full song form someday soon, be it in a live music setting or on the recorded album. In the meantime, please let me know what you think of the lyrics below, and keep an eye out for future announcements and updates. For now, I give you, Morning Light.
Morning light After a winter's night Nothing compares Nothing comes close To morning light Come break of dawn The low-hanging sun It takes its place In the skies above Renewed and restored Though the night is dark Though times are hard It won't last forever The night will always pass And the light will come Piercing through the window pane Shining, bringing A new hope with the new day When dark turns to light And the sky comes alive Brimming with joy And lush delight In the morning light
P.S.: My debut non-fiction book, Art Is The Way, and my middle-grade novella, A Hollade Christmas, are out everywhere now. You can get them in all good bookstores and from all major online vendors.