There is a Crack in Everything

Written by Tayria Ward on December 16, 2010

Last night I had a dream, a dream I have been having for night after night for the last 5 or more nights in a row. Each felt like I was in an operating room being operating on, with many spirits and intelligences extremely focused upon me. In the mornings I awakened with words and and images of having been “worked on, worked on, worked on, worked on,” as I wrote in my dream journal. Arriving to full to awakeness in the mornings the closing dream words would fade immediately. But, thankfully, this morning I caught them, and I knew they were the same words I had been waking up to every day for several in a row: “There is a crack in everything.” All morning I rolled this phrase around in my mind, thinking it an odd phrase and felt very curious why the dreams would end such. It took me some hours to remember and realize that these are words from a Leonard Cohen song. This man is such an exquisite poet, I am honored that my dream spoke in language he articulated. I am curious to see how this unfolds, as my operations in the dreamtime have been very intensive for several nights running. Here are the words to his song

“Anthem”

The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.

We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government —
signs for all to see.

I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring …

You can add up the parts
but you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.

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