Shed a little light
so that we can see
January 20, 2025
Hello You,
Today is MLK Day, a day to remember Martin Luther King Jr. and the profound importance of his life and words. About a decade after the first Martin Luther King Day was observed, it also became a National Day of Service in the U.S. (under the presidency of Bill Clinton,) a fitting way to honour King’s devotion to non-violent activism in the Civil Rights Movement. The quote from Dr. King below, set in by the amazing Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., is one of my favourites.
Last week marked the start of the Voice of the Moon monthly writing challenges, and as we took a deep dive into writing our own Ellie poems, I started thinking back to my own university days and who I was in my late teens and early twenties. This morning I pulled out a journal that I kept when I was in grad school studying musicology, and pregnant with my eldest child. Here’s an excerpt from January 18, 1993, written to my unborn child:
Dear Baby of Mine,
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I wish I could say that I’m going to bring you into the world during a time of peace and happiness, but unfortunately people are struggling worldwide. US troops are back fighting in Iraq, while others are in Somalia trying to get food to starving people, especially children. And all across America, people are struggling to get by and make it through each day. In two days we will have a new president. I hope that he will do his best to try to turn things around for all of us. Hopefully it will mean good things for the future. My mother was at the same stage of her pregnancy with me as I am right now for you. She remembers Dr. King and how deeply she felt the hopefulness of his message, and how devastated she was over the tragedy of his death. Please know that I am someone who wants all people to be treated equally, with kindness and fairness. I hope that you will grow up to believe as I do and that you’ll fight against all ignorance that breeds hate and violence. That’s what I’m trying to do with my music and my words and my deeds. I promise to try to give you the best life I can and to help you find your voice so you can share it.
This week that baby’s baby turns two, and I know that now that he’s a parent, he holds the same hopes in his heart for his child as I did for him all those years ago. Here’s to raising our voices and our children to sing songs of love and kindness!
Faith in a Seed
It’s a snow day here in the Bay, so while I wasn’t able to get out and about for a more active form of service, I did spend quite a bit of time planning for the days and months to come — thinking about how best to cultivate and nourish both the garden in my soul and in my backyard in order to share the fruits of my labours with others.
The journey that the main character takes in my current novel-in-progress is all about planting seeds — of hope, resistance, connection, wildness, and strange magic. (If you’ve listened to the audio story in Voice of the Moon 3, “Connection,” you know what I mean.) She’s the first contemporary character I’ve written into a novel, and I have to say, she’s having quite an influence on me. We’re of the same vintage, (and the same menopausal rage) so some days I’m not quite sure where she ends and I begin. Like me, she’s a big Henry David Thoreau fan, so this quote’s been ringing through my waking, dreaming, and writing, as of late.
“I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” — Henry David Thoreau
The Awe Report
Have you ever had a chickadee sit on your hand? The sweet band of black-capped chickadees that visit my yard each morning are so chatty and gregarious, they make me feel like a proper forest witch. (The good, but cheeky kind, of course.) This winter I’ve been wearing a pair of red wool mittens, the same colour as the birdfeeder, and when I go out to feed the birds, there’s been one bold chickadee that regularly insists on perching on my hand for a little chat. Pure magic! I didn’t want to scare it by trying to snap a pic while it was perched, but here are a few shots from this morning’s gathering of feathered friends.
Blue Monday Playlist
Today is also “Blue Monday,” supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Whether it is or it isn’t for you, I know the state of the world, along with a long stretch of cloudy days has really been getting me down. This morning, the Monday DJ on the small community radio station I regularly listen to really knocked it out of the park with her playlist. “I’m going to do my best to keep you from feeling blue today,” she said. For the next couple of hours, she played an amazing mix of songs, many from the era of the Civil Rights Movement, all meant to help her listeners pause and reflect. One that really touched my heart was James Taylor’s “Shed a Little Light,” so I’ll leave you with a video of it:
And if you’d like a further boost to the heart, I made a Blue Monday playlist of ten songs on youtube chosen from the songs the DJ played, plus a couple of my favourites. I hope you enjoy them!
Blue Monday Playlist
Closing thoughts and a little housekeeping
For those of you who are local, I’ll be headed to the Wolfville Farmer’s Market (with a typewriter!) on Saturday February 8th, to write pop-up poems in support of the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia’s Alistair MacLeod mentorship program. I don’t have all the details yet, but I’ll include them in the next newsletter, so keep watch if you’re interested.
Thanks to all the Voice of the Moon regulars who have taken the plunge to participate in the first writing challenge of 2025! I’ve been reading your comments and I’ll be responding shortly. Keep writing! Keep going!
And a million thanks to everyone who reads my words each week in this newsletter. It means the world to me. Until next time, I wish you songs of hope in your heart, and magic along your way.
Blue Monday songs so needed yesterday, Ami! Thank you!