It was another one of those ridiculous early mornings. It all began with Ben at 2:20am. He pulled along side my bed and ordered; “go in my bed with me”. Ben, at 5, is irresistible even in the middle of the night. He was back to sleep within 10 minutes and I wasn’t.
I rolled out and hauled into my running gear. Ella got up with me and we wandered downtown to the bank machine. There’s a certain stillness that is only available in the dead centre of night. It was cold at -11 C / 12 F. The moon was high - nearly complete over the river. I envisioned a spawn of a zillion migrating herring. I couldn’t help but croak out Bruce Cockburn's “All The Diamonds” from 1973.
All the diamonds in this world
That mean anything to me
Are conjured up by wind and sunlight
Sparkling on the sea
I ran aground in a harbour town
Lost the taste for being free
Thank God He sent some gull-chased ship
To carry me to sea
Two thousand years and half a world away
Dying trees still grow greener when you pray
Silver scales flash bright and fade
In reeds along the shore
Like a pearl in sea of liquid jade
His ship comes shining
Like a crystal swan in a sky of suns
His ship comes shining.
1 day ago