Story Behind The Song

In Zumbrota, Minnesota a group of people created a healing garden "to create awareness of the effects of violence on a community?s health." I was asked to write a song for the opening ceremony.

Song Description

The song uses images of fragmented things - mosaics, kaleidoscopes, patchwork quilts - to explore the idea of recovering from violence.

Lyrics

My Mosaic Heart

I lift these broken pieces
Gently from the floor
I have no strength for this
But I?ll come back for more
To rearrange and reconstruct
These broken parts
I do not know when I?ll begin to start
To find the melody of my
mosaic heart

I pull these fabric remnants
From the dresser drawer
They had some purpose once
I can?t recall what for
They?re like my days these days
All jumbled and confined
I know that I might have to be resigned
To find my rhythm in
This patchwork quilted time

I close my eyes and stare into the sun
These shattered images do not resolve to one
I guess I must accept this hard design
The rhyme of my kalaidescoping mind

Instrumental interlude

So I step into this garden, it?s a start
I step into the center and pull this pain apart
I pull this quilted comforter around me
And this art begins to find the
Healing of the scars
And plays the melody of my
mosaic heart

I close my eyes and stare into the sun
These shattered images do not resolve to one
I guess I must accept this hard design
The rhyme of my kalaidescoping mind
My rhythm in this patchwork quilted time
The garden where this healing message starts
And all the melody of my
Mosaic heart