Second year JV, Miranda Rose Hall (’11-12 Anchorage, ’12-13 Missoula) shares lyrics from a song she composed upon her departure from her JV year in Alaska. Miranda offered this song as a reflection on the final day of Orientation last week:
“Blessing for the Alaska JVs”
Morning in Alaska and a Sleeping Lady dreams
while the water ‘cross the Inlet gives the boundless sky a seam
and the silver-studded mountain
and the silver-sounding trees
collect into a blessing
to carry on with me:
may your heart burn with the fire of a midnight sun
may your worry melt like winter when the snow is done
may your faithfulness be able
and your love be strong
and may I carry you forever with me
I came here for the people and I came here for the snow,
I came here for the village, I came because it’s slow.
I came for love, for wilderness, to serve among the low,
and if it’s hard enough to stay here
it’s harder still to go.
May your heart burn with the fire of a midnight sun
may your worry melt like winter when the snow is done
may your faithfulness be able
and your love be strong
and may I carry you forever with me.
So kiss me with a solstice and lead me by the bay –
the ocean blows the ones who know they’re bound away.
Ferry in the morning
or an airplane after dark
while the holiness of mountains
keeps holding back my heart.
May your heart burn with the fire of a midnight sun
may your worry melt like winter when the snow is done
may your faithfulness be able
and your love be strong
and may I carry you forever with me
may I carry you forever with me.
I wish we had Miranda and Pat’s performance of this song on recording! So beautiful
This brought me right back to my own JV experience in Anchorage, ’89-’90. Makes me long for the mountains and the wilderness. I love my community still and though we don’t see each other often they are always in my heart. Thank you Miranda.