Drum Song for the Earth

Images by David Zung, 2020

How do we go about living with this life

Joy, love and tragedy, struggle, pain and strife

Brought to the brink, we must now learn how to swim

Drowning on shore, facing our collective sin

Humanity didn’t know where to go

Our brains were too big, our bodies were for show

When you separate a body from its soul

All that remains of its fire is the coal 

What must we do to live in unity

Sacrifice desire and lean on you and me

We breathe in the air that connects us to it all

Inhaling Mother Earth and responding to her Call

Humanity doesn’t know where to go

Our greed is too great and we’re severed from our soul

And when you separate a being from the Whole

The pain of the loss will begin to take its toll

Briana Halliwell (she/her), is a young adult who grew up in Quakerism and seeks to defy the boundaries of the Quaker faith by connecting people to the root of the Spirit and helping them to reMember their place in the natural order of life. She has worn many hats in the past (zookeeper, editor, freelance writer) and is now stepping fully into the role of “traveling minister,” whatever that may entail. The recording and music of the song was co-created with her partner, Zoli Kertesz.

Zoli Kertesz is a world traveler who embraces learning from new cultures and sharing the beauty of creating art collectively. New to the Handpan, he’s already finding a deep connection with the magical instrument and enjoys creating beautiful soundscapes to soothe the hurting soul. Zoli hopes to bring peace and healing into this broken world through his music and art.