Requiem

Requiem was written by Eliza Gilkyson after the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people. These days the lyrics resonate. The current COVID-19 death toll is 3 million people and climbing – Brazil is currently seeing 3,000 deaths per day. A slower tsnumai, but just as overwhelming in its human costs. Here are the lyrics.

Mother mary, full of grace, awaken
All our homes are gone, our loved ones taken
Taken by the sea
Mother mary, calm our fears, have mercy
Drowning in a sea of tears, have mercy
Hear our mournful plea
Our world has been shaken
We wander our homelands forsaken

In the dark night of the soul
Bring some comfort to us all
Oh mother mary come and carry us in your embrace
That our sorrows may be facedMary, fill the glass to overflowing
Illuminate the path where we are going
Have mercy on us all
In funeral fires burning
Each flame to your mystery returningIn the dark night of the soul
Your shattered dreamers, make them whole,
Oh mother mary find us where we’ve fallen out of grace
Lead us to a higher placeIn the dark night of the soul
Our broken hearts you can make whole
Oh mother mary come and carry us in your embrace
Let us see your gentle face, mary