Some years ago now when I first launched The Sacred Braid and began writing THE ALMOND TREE, a friend casually commented, as if to remind me, “You know you’re not a blogger, Dan. You’re a writer.” I didn’t really know at the time what that meant, but now I do. He was right. I’m not a blogger. It’s nothing against bloggers. It’s just I’m not one. Consequently, there are stretches when I can’t post anything of real substance or value other than someone else’s words (“Life-Line”). And though I am writing daily, it’s meant for publication and therefore I can’t post it here. At least not now. And then there are just times — and it’s not writer’s block — when like the bear the words are tucked deep in their den and stay in for the winter even though there is so much to be said about what is daily being said (for years now). Who can blame the bear. It’s gotten so old, and so exhausting.

So, before this becomes a blog post, I want to say at such times I find music to be the fitting response. Especially pieces with few words or, better yet, no words at all. Something like Bill Evan’s “Peace Piece” which is one of my favorites. It’s good company. It says all that need be said today in these precarious times. It moves me deeply. It makes me feel grateful to be alive. It’s at once beautiful and melancholic. Simple, but elegant. Exquisite, yet full of pathos. Peaceful while capable of undoing the reverent listener with its precise lingering notes and the unhurried spaces in between. We’ve got it wrong I suspect. We think the inner ear is deep inside the fleshy whorl attached to the side of our head keeping us balanced and sending signals to the brain when the world of music suggests the inner ear resides in the heart and sends us one minute spinning like Sufi’s and another minute sits or kneels us down mute and weeping. Evan’s gem is the kind of piece that makes you stop what you’re doing, close your eyes. It’s balm for the soul.

Evan’s wrote it in 1958. But it’s timeless. And timely. It makes so much of the current goings on in this country seem so ugly, so childish (apologies to children). It’s an indictment on so much of the daily bloviating, verbal indecency, weaponizing of words, denigrating of other people by denigrating language, twisting of words to knowingly, carelessly, and irresponsibly lie and then lie about lying. It’s an example of those rare times when reading the comments is actually edifying and affirming and good company. As one of the commenters said, it’s a pull off to the side of the road kind of song.

If I were the Chaplain of the Senate or the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, in lieu of a prayer, I would play Bill Evan’s “Peace Piece” each day for the next six months before the two assemblies convened. It might — might — make it a bit harder for our political “leaders” to be so unapologetically rude and to curb the enthusiasm of so many who appear to be addicted to disparaging others and who regularly act brazenly, immature, and undignified as they play the all-knowing fools. Have mercy on us all.

That’s all I got. Close your eyes. Listen to Mr. Evans. Take it away, Bill.