My Mother's Bracelet

PRE-VERSE:

My mother has a bracelet; it's carved from an olive tree -

and etched into its rich brown wood are three different words for 'peace.'

VERSE 1:

It's crossed oceans, years, and miles,

Faced decades, toddlers, the West African wild!

Gone to churches, stores, galas, and more,

Twenty long years, that bracelet's endured!

CHORUS:

Do you believe in God - or fate, for a start?

As real and close as the very air,

There's a deeper truth, if you can face it.

And me, I know there's something there -

Because, at least in part -

Oh, because of my mother's bracelet.

PRE-VERSE (ALTERNATE):

It's my mother's favorite bracelet; It's carved from an olive tree.

and she loves how it says on the wood three different words for 'peace.'

VERSE 2:

It says 'Peace,' and 'Salaam,' and 'Shalom' -

Written by women who almost shared a home:

Friends from Israel and from Palestine,

Together they made - and erased - some lines.

CHORUS:

Do you believe in God - or fate, for a start?

As real and close as the very air,

There's a deeper truth, if you can face it.

And me, I know there's something there -

Because, at least in part -

Oh, because of my mother's bracelet.

PRE-VERSE:

My mother has a bracelet; It's carved from an olive tree -

and etched into it's rich brown wood are three different words for 'peace.'

VERSE 3:

But then violence once more began to call;

Some listened, and killed, and bombs again did fall -

And before November could even start,

My mother's bracelet had cracked apart.

CHORUS (ALTERNATE):

Do you believe in God - or meaning, at all?

Something's there within the pain

Do you seek, like me, to place it?

I can't see a rainbow through this rain,

But in the wrong, I hear a call:

I hear a call in my mother's bracelet -

A call in my mother's bracelet.

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REFLECTIONS ON THE PIECE:

Thank you kindly for reading and/or listening to this piece. It is one that I share with a heavy heart, as the subject matter is dark and very relevant - and so I will reflect in a bit more detail here on the meaning of the song. The story told within it is true: my dear Mum very frequently wore this bracelet (pictured in the cover photo with some other precious items of hers) for just about two decades. She purchased it when I was just a toddler from a local 10,000 Villages store, which (if you haven't heart of it) is a really beautiful institution dedicated to selling ethically sourced, handcrafted items. She learned the origin of the piece - that it was crafted jointly by Israeli and Palestinian woman, from olive wood from the West Bank - from a kind employee who noticed her admiring it. It quickly became one of her favorite accessories to wear; I feel I can see it on her wrist more often than not in my childhood memories. She's told me that I (and other toddlers) had chewed on it and banged it about quite a bit in moments when she wasn't paying attention. The bracelet also traveled over the Atlantic to and from Cameroon, as my family spent several years there, and endured the active and outdoorsy existence promoted by West African life.

Just as the song tells, the bracelet did - tragically, poetically, and remarkably - crack apart within weeks of the October 7th attack and subsequent bombing in Gaza. The story speaks for itself - and I hope that by sharing it here, it might, in a small and strange way, open more of our hearts to the tragedy and reality of evil - the evil of this ongoing violence, even across the world from many of us.

I had plans to submit a whole bunch of songs to Vocal's Harmonic Verses challenge; but with this one first on my heart, it felt hollow to work on other pieces which might distract me or listeners from 'My Mother's Bracelet.' Those other projects will doubtless appear here on Vocal eventually, as I am continuing with my resolution to share at least one original song per month. But for this challenge, I am only submitting this song and one older, re-submitted piece.

Thanks again for stopping by, friend; it means more than I can say. Hope you are well. <3