A Touch of Melancholy

It's bittersweet.  The song below is haunting, truly, and brings with it feelings of death and memories buried.  But on the same hand there's something beautiful about its sound, like it reaches into your soul and commands you to listen, despite the grim words.  In the end, all shall fade, so it goes.  It fits my mood, I think.

While the song is originally sung by Pippin in The Return of the King, in the scene where Faramir rushes out to die to please his crazy old man Denethor, the version below is a beautiful cover.  I'm not sure how many times I've listened to it, but it keeps pulling me back.  Give it a listen, not just a simple "play."  Close your eyes for the minute and absorb the song, feel its tug on you.  Let the singer weave a spell on your ears.  Go on.  Try to resist.

Home is behind, the world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread,

Through shadow to the edge of night,

Until the stars are all alight.

Mist and shadow, Cloud and shade

All shall fade,

all shall fade.

Not only does the soundtrack nearly move me to tears on a few selections, it's appropriate for today.  Like the deep loss and sadness that spreads across Middle Earth, plenty of folks die here for no good reason.  Famine and hunger.  Murders.  It's disgusting how little we do.

My brother is going back to Afghanistan today to finish out his tour.  The fifteen days he's been home now seem short, and I wish he didn't have to return.  I saw him three times in the fifteen days.  Once at Ian's birthday party, once at mom's for supper one night, and then on Tuesday night.  We sat around talking for an hour or so, and it felt good.  It didn't strike me until later that I didn't hug him bye.  Just told him I told him I loved him and to be careful.  I can only pray for his safety.

On the brighter side, the tennis tournament begins tonight, followed by tomorrow morning's disc golf scramble and then another round in the tourney.  Should be a thoroughly exhausting weekend.