"The Birds Still Sing" by Nicole Sangsuree

"To take life for granted would be the worst tragedy..."

Written after her days volunteering on the coast of Thailand following the deadly 2004 tsunami. About seeking lessons, solace, beauty - even amidst grief and tragedy.

When I listened again, feeling the rumble of tragedy in slow motion unfold all around, I thought. 'Ha. I suppose we are all the birds' then pondered upon how our 'singing' can make the tragedy bearable.

Connecting, celebrating one another and the impossible acts of heart and guts that human beings are capable of...
Keep it up lil birds.

Much obliged Puppet Mills for the original footage and Sarah Barrett for transcribing the lyrics below.

LYRICS:
The earth shakes
The stillness comes
The waves rise
Everything undone

We inhale
The eyes close
As the comfort leaves
In the undertow

Then the questions come
Oh why the cruel sun
Beating down
TIll the last one’s found

A tattoo
A single scar
Is that my baby boy
Is that my mother

I am lonely
but I am free
To take life for granted would be the worst tragedy
Oh yes I am lonely
but I am free
And thinkin’ of our memories, well
it does this to me

The dogs moan
The streets cry
The wind blows
Who knows why

The back aches
The mind stops
The heart works
and the body walks

The water screams
and it’s deafening
The land sighs
how many died?

The numbers are risin’
The planet’s uniting
The stories are growing
and the compassion showing

I am lonely
but I am free
To take life for granted would be the worst tragedy
Oh yes I am lonely
but I am free
And thinkin’ of our memories, well
it does this to me

The new year dawns
the morning comes
we wear black
let those tears run

The spirits move
as the fires burn
we try to contemplate
all that we have learned

How my soul pounds
can my breath be found?
light a candle
set it on the ground

on the temple floor
i can’t cry any more
how the silence stings
but the birds still sing
yes the birds still sing
how the birds
well they still sing
yes those birds still sing