Welcome to the world, Hal! This past week a bouncing baby boy was born to my big brother and sister-in-law out in Santa Cruz. Never could such a momentous occasion go unmarked on this website. It was the happiest of days for our family, and while vast distances will prevent me from meeting my new nephew for a little while, there's no reason he shouldn't be getting to know the sound of my voice, and there's absolutely no reason that I can't be telling him from afar what an exciting and limitless life awaits him here on Earth. I thought about writing him a lullaby, but then I thought again. I want to encourage this boy to open his eyes wider, rather than closing them to the world around him. This is a fast and bumpy little song, so I enlisted the help of Rebecca Horton to smooth it out with some harmonies. I think it did the trick.
So Hal, this song is yours, written for you on a beach three thousand miles from your home, and performed with love by people who can't wait to meet you.
lyrics
This I know little friend
The rest of your life
Is a poem
You're about to write
And every word you choose
Is up to you
So take your time
And on the day you were born
I looked to the sky
It opened up
Oh so wide
And maybe just as wide
Somewhere
You opened up your eyes
And you took it in
Little friend, Listen up
The rest of your life
Is a train
You're about to ride
And all aboard!
The whistle's blowin'
Kid this is your time
And everywhere the wide world
Is waiting on you
To come around
And to say your truth
The way you look upon
This restless world, like you,
Will be brand new
You gotta look around