This week’s entry, In The Morning is a preview cut from our next album, Acoustic Roots. This song brings to life the journey of Krystyna Skarbek aka Christine Granville a WWII - spy for Britain. A remarkable hero whose time seems to have been sadly overlooked.
This week’s poem, The Swimmer is from my book Horizon. It was inspired by a beautiful, short observational documentary called Real Life by Mark Thomas, featuring the outdoor swimmer Vivienne Rickman-Poole. The song was written and performed by Elbow, one of my favourite bands.
It centers around how one swims to heal, “about focusing on your pulse, breathing and the pounding of your heart.” How the water feels on your skin, the cold in your bones as you cross the lakes surface. “The euphoria of being so alone.” It’s a comforting, wonderful video and song about life.
Fredrick Brooks - Vocals/Merlin/Acoustic Guitar/Bass/Keyboards
Joy Brooks - Vocals
Chris Pezzarello - Doumbek/Drums
Recorded and Mastered by Fredrick Brooks at Hillcrest Studio
<Click here to listen to In The Morning>
In The Morning
In the morning I’ll say goodbye
And walk the fields of war and clover
I’ll wipe the tears of night from my eyes
And dream of starting over
So come walk with me give a kiss goodbye
Into the dark I take my light
For I am the truth behind the lies
It’s a heavy heart I’ll carry this night
Chorus
Oh Krystyna light a fire and I will follow you
We’ll count the stars in the open sky
And dream til our time is through
In the morning when battle cries
You’ll find me there behind the lines
Where the wicked warlords prey
Upon the heart of our innocent days
Chorus
In the morning I’ll say goodbye
And lay my tired boots by the fire
Remember me how I loved and spied
For the peace we were all denied
Chorus
© Fredrick Brooks
Krystyna Skarbek aka Christine Granville
+++++++++++++++
THE SWIMMER
She eased into the cool water
Her lips quivering
She cupped her hands
Filling them with her warm breath.
A quiet, efficient swimmer from birth
This was her indulgence
Her space
Her heart’s desire
It brought a different lens to her world.
She
Alone with the sky
Her deep ceiling
Below the unknown deep
And the surface that embraced her
Across miles of open water.
©Fredrick Brooks
Dedicated to the swimmer Vivienne Rickman-Poole