Joe Henry Every Sorrow
Safely in strong arms I lie now
Torn, the flags, but still they fly now;
Memories of the cold Decembers
Trampled roses, cloves and embers—
Gone the shadows deep divisions
That trade on hopes with steep conditions…
After every sorrow comes a joy
But every sorrow knows one more
Theives are cornered, smoking lanterns swing
Threadbare shoulders rolling under wings—
Sliding from her arms, conforming
Darkest eyes to brightest morning
Stealing back through woods and ditches
Pulling out the crooked stitches…
After every sorrow comes a joy
But every thief, he knows one more
I envy the sky its open arms
Its hidden eye, its howling false alarms;
The way it moves above you trembling
The day it breaks to pull you in, then
Curtain of its heart descending
Spiriting the sun its ending…
After every sorrow comes a joy
But every howl hides one more
This may challenge all our senses
Hold us tight within its fences—
But singing out, her gate stands open
For all the world, so weak and broken
A story giving all a framing
A face that waits but for a naming…
After every sorrow comes a joy
And every story knows one more