"Across the Great Divide"

I wrote this song to process the complicated feelings of losing my mom.  Between Covid, Alzheimer’s, and family there are/were a lot of complex emotions. If you have strong feelings this Mother’s Day, you are certainly not alone. Virtual hugs to all! ♡

I am driving through an ice storm; You are seated on a plane
Same and different journey to see our mom again
I’d be masked and sanitized; You had a different mind
We can talk about it later; Now is not the time 

Her room now a hospice; I’m glad it is her own
Her children singing to her she got to stay at home
I’m grateful for your Catholic prayer; I share a Buddhist line
We can talk about it later; Now is not the time 

So much beauty in our complicated family
I see you and you see me
We do quite it imperfectly
Even over tears we’ve cried
    Love flows
Across the Great Divide

Grandchildren by her graveside; Our prayers choke in our throat
Glistening eyes tentative smiles -- reinventing hope
A weird and lovely service – No steeple bells would chime
We can talk about it later; Now is not the time 

So much beauty… 

Piece by piece she was taken broke our hearts because
We could only ever get a glimpse of the brilliance that she was
Now we all grieve in our own way differences aside
When reaching to each other, the gap is not as wide

I know that we can bridge the distance -- help ourselves to grasp
So many ways to get it right for these bonds to last 

So much beauty in a complicated family
I see you and you see me
We do quite it imperfectly

So much beauty in a complicated family
I see you; you see me
We’ve learned to do it lovingly
Even over tears we’ve cried
    Love grows
The distance isn’t all that wide
    Who knows
We could see her on the other side
    Love flows always
Across the Great Divide        

I’m driving through an ice storm; You’re seated on a plane
Mom was getting ready
We’re going home again 

Copyright (c) 2022 Becky Lloyd DesRoches (BMI)