Junkie Song

I've been fascinated with St. Francis of Assisi since I was a kid, when I first learned of his kindness to animals. If I'd be born in the right time and place, I'm sure my life would be devoted to a religious order that seeks to protect animals.

Francis has some wonderful quotes that reflect an appealing gentleness of spirit. Today I'm thinking of this one:

"O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek...

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love."

If every single person in the world did this, imagine how quickly peace would settle on us! It means pushing our eyes up from the record of hurt and dashed hopes we keep like an open book in front of us; it means making our bodies still, listening with a calm spirit.

This song is about the frustration felt when surrounded by others' needs, the surrender of acknowledging "I could easily be you."

What am I supposed to do?
There are too many of you
too many of you…
Yet sometimes I look you in the eye
and say that I too am human
I could easily be you…

You know we all hover between apathy and compassion
We fill up all our days with so much distraction
It makes it easier not to see what we don't want to
But we all live here
We all live here
We all live lonely