[2020-11-05] Love in a cup

In response to Staying connected, my oldest brother, Tim, told me that his favourite way to remain in touch with loved ones was the physically distanced walk. He stopped by yesterday with my mom for a walk around my street, followed by a conversation on my deck. We physically distanced from each other and wore masks to add an extra layer of protection given my immunocompromised status.

In thinking about the various ways we can stay connected, Tim said that he wouldn't do the virtual poetry club, but he thought that interpreting song lyrics might be interesting. When he asked me whether I had a favourite song with uplifting lyrics, I couldn't think of one. Though I love music, I'm not an auditory person by nature. I'm much more of a visual person. So I don't readily remember song lyrics.

But while I was listening to music later in the day, a song came up on my Spotify favourites that I felt would fit the bill. It's called "Love in a Cup" (Spotify, YouTube) by a group called Outside I'm a Giant, which hails from Gatineau, Quebec. I discovered the group in 2019 when it played at Bluesfest in Ottawa.

"Love in a Cup" is both lyrically and musically soothing. The song is an open invitation to a friend to stop by the singer's home, not just for coffee ("It's brewing for you") but for support ("if you're still hurtin' | Call out to me"). The singer promises to pour out "Love in a cup" and commits to offering an open door ("If you're stuck in a rut | You'll always find | A place at my table").

The most moving verse for me is this one: "You might never see | How much | Of an inspiration | You are to me | To see you like this | I realize | The depth of the pain that you hide inside." Many people tell me that I am an inspiration and while I don't feel that I'm currently hiding a pain inside me, that could change. Cancer could yet prove a difficult foe to vanquish. But I am confident that if I do find myself hiding a pain inside that I would have many smoking chimneys under which to seek love in a cup.

Love in a Cup

In front of my eyes

The storm took form

But I am not fearful

I have poetry

To cling onto

In the dead of the night

And if you're still hurtin'

Call out to me

Love in a cup

Is what I will pour

If you're stuck in a rut

You'll always find

A place at my table

When others are blind

To your cause

I know real moments don't come 'round a lot

So drop on by

It's brewing for you

Under my smoking chimney tonight

You might never see

How much

Of an inspiration

You are to me

To see you like this

I realize

The depth of the pain that you hide inside