SINGING NATURE BACK TO LIFE
thelostwords
THE AUTHORS
ROBERT MACFARLANE
Seek, find, speak
• ThecreatorsofTheLostWordsdescribeitas:’‘abeautifulprotest’againstthe loss of everyday nature from our everyday lives in Britain and beyond’ and refers to Brecht:
In the dark times
Will there also be singing? Yes, there will be singing About the dark times.

JACKIE MORRIS
Seek, find, speak, create
Jackie Morris speaks of the ‘sleeping seed of a tree, a forest in waiting.’

‘You can’t climb a tree by its leaves. You have to start with the trunk.
It’s the wind that makes the leaves move, to hear that you have to listen harder, to hear the music in the leaves.’
• Have you listened to the wind in trees?

May The Road Rise Up To Meet You
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Deep Peace – a Celtic Blessing
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you

Excerpt from a Celtic prayer called St Patrick’s Breastplate
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today through
God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to see before me,
God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to secure me – 
against snares of devils,
against temptations and vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me
ill, afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd…
Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.