Arms Around Us All
Channel: Neil Dale Songs
Date: 2016-03-16

Arms Around Us All

Verse one 
When I got home I shut the door, I really couldn’t take much more:
My kids were jumping on the floor, and then my cell phone rang –
But somewhere far away from me, an old opossum in a tree
He’s hunkered down so peacefully,
 Gazing at us all.
Refrain
We’re all in this together: 
Every cow and cottonwood, and every human too –
We shout and fight and disagree - it’s always them that’s wrong not me,
Our Mother waiting patiently, arms around us all.

Verse two
Build another shopping mall, big McMansion growing tall –
Drive a superhighway through it all:
But little root ends meet and touch, and tiny microbes eat their lunch,
And fungus weaves a world around them,
 Underneath us all.
Refrain
‘’
Every crow and coconut…

Verse three
And if your life is just a bore, each day means a hundred more –
Your cares are caught in cubicles and screens:
Somewhere on the open sea, a dolphin’s jumping, swimming free –
She’s swimming upside down, 
Blowing bubbles at us all.
Refrain
“
Every loon and liverwort…

Verse four
They’re trying to hype another war – everybody’s keeping score:
You’ve got to make someone to hate, to be worth fighting for.
But when I want to criticize, I find that I can lift my eyes –
And watch a golden eagle,
Soaring high above us all.
Refrain
“
Every elm and elephant…

Verse five
We humans think we do it all – emails, x-rays, iPhones call:
Compared to Mother Earth, that isn’t much:
She makes the air, she breathes for you –
She grows your heart, then beats it too:
What was it that you said we do?
Proud about it all.
Refrain
We’re all in this together –
Every fish and frog and fern, and every human too.
We shout and fight and disagree, but maybe someday we will see,
Our Mother waiting patiently –
Underneath us all,
High above us all,
Gazing at us all,
Laughing at us all,
Arms around us all.