Song for Jeffrey Lucey (Meg Hutchinson)

In his Journal Friday, Bill Moyers wrote:

"We honor our war dead this Memorial Day weekend. The greatest respect we could pay them would be to pledge no more wars for erroneous and misleading reasons; no more killing and wounding except for the defense of our country and our freedoms. We could also honor our dead by caring for the living, and do better at it than we are right now…

You may have followed the flurry of allegations concerning neglect, malpractice, and corner cutting at the Veterans Administration, especially for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD - or major depression, brought on by combat.

The Rand Corporation has released a study indicating that approximately 300,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD - or major depression, that's one of every five soldiers who have served over there."

The rest here...

"Another timely song on [Meg Hutchinson's] new album is her “Song for Jeffrey Lucey,” based on the real story of Lance Corporal Jeffrey Lucey, who returned from Iraq, suffering from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “I heard about Jeffrey Lucey and was devastated by his story but incredibly moved by how his family spoke out about PTSD,” Hutchinson says. “I think we all need to recognize sorrow, both the grief of a country at war and our own very private sorrows, in order to get through them.” Whether tackling political issues or matters of the heart, Hutchinson does exactly that—recognizes the pain that gives our lives a greater depth and a deeper appreciation of joy. She writes about human resilience and maintains that no matter what happens in our lives, our nets can still come up full."

Big love and thanks to AW for the heads-up on this wonderful singer-songwriter - I'd been hearing many good things about Meg but hadn't yet taken the time to check her out. When Amy sent me her recent mix CD with Meg's Home as the first song (with the line "dreaming in full color"), I knew it was slated for my next Oz compilation - I immediately ordered, and am very much enjoying, the CD...

SONG: Song for Jeffrey Lucey by Meg Hutchinson

BOOK: The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Linda J. Bilmes

POEM: Equinox by Joy Harjo

I must keep from breaking into the story by force

for if I do I will find myself with a war club in my hand

and the smoke of grief staggering toward the sun,

your nation dead beside you.

I keep walking away though it has been an eternity

and from each drop of blood

springs up sons and daughters, trees,

a mountain of sorrows, of songs.

I tell you this from the dusk of a small city in the north

not far from the birthplace of cars and industry.

Geese are returning to mate and crocuses have

broken through the frozen earth.

Soon they will come for me and I will make my stand

before the jury of destiny. Yes, I will answer in the clatter

of the new world, I have broken my addiction to war

and desire. Yes, I will reply, I have buried the dead

and made songs of the blood, the marrow.

QUOTE: "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." ~ José Narosky