I was lucky enough to see / hear / walk with the Venerable Monks in Richmond last week. Their Walk for Peace inspired this song, which asked for my rudimentary attempt at a blues shuffle.

Starved for assistance But grounded in hope People long for resistance From the ends of their ropes

We walk toward the future With a foot in the past We shuffle through darkness Where only love lasts

Mindful as monkeys People deify dogs Constructing their temples Out of putrified logs

We state our intention And take our next steps We model compassion And savor each breath

Let us talk when we talk And sigh when we sigh May we walk when we walk And may everyone try

In this meager existence With a surfeit of strife People curse at the system And sign over their lives

We pause and we gather We pray and move on With a phrase we can’t fathom And the grace found in song

We walk toward the future....