Listen to the Heart

In March of 2000, I met my husband, Tony, and we remained together until he died on April 9, 2023. At the time, Tony worshipped at Palmer Episcopal across from Rice University. Tony played the piano, and he had combined his passion for a spiritual journey and being of service with music. At Palmer, this manifested as Heartscape, a non-liturgical service that took some inspiration from Taize, at times was celebratory with people holding hands while dancing and singing, and at other times was meditative. The idea was to have a community that wasn’t bound together through shared understanding of dogma but by a desire to touch the spirit and to use song, music, and movement as the way.

Early on in our relationship, I wrote a song for the service. Tony put lyrics to it, and we sang it as a duet at a few of the services (if I find the version put to music, I will update this post). Tony’s voice was big and bold, projecting to claim the space while I pulled my back in order to avoid attracting notice, but when we sang, we came together. I appreciated that we each had a part in the song, which made the duet that much more meaningful.

LISTEN to the HEART

Listin to the heart, telling you were to go!

It will take you to warm places where hope breathes alive,

Where joy is more than a lost, broken dream

Where the pain is gone, forever gone.

Listen to the heart! Find God in the world.

The world is the wheel of God,

With all creatures on the wheel.

The world is the river of God,

Flowing from, flowing back to God.

Follow the heart and feel the joy!

You and me, every girl and boy!

All God’s children have a love-started heart

Put love in the world; we must all do our part.

Listen to the heart! In the heart we are the same.

We all take the same journey,

And turn on the same wheel.

We are one, coming from the same place

We are body, we are spirits, we are life

Listen to the heart! Let you path find its truth.

Drink of the living water and never thirst again

Listen to the heart and hear its song

Take you fill! Begin to sing!

Climb the hill! Spread your wings!

As I wrote these words, I’m connected to the memory of us singing this song together. The moments are precious treasures.

I love you, Tony, and you continue to be a teacher in my life.