I am here to tell you
that I have accepted good things
I remember being a cynic once
denying myself the sip of the holy wine
While the birds were singing in their nests
I waited for the world to end
Mindlessly, I accepted the dances,
the roses, pink moons, and the sacred “now”
We can so easily turn every joyous thing
into some perilous warning sign
Our pasts are cruel carpenters, hammering away
building walls around our hearts
Until every corner is cluttered
with cobwebs and childhood trauma
I am here to tell you, I grabbed the broom,
the rusted old shovel, and did the work
I no longer wait for lovers to leave
or for the earth to rattle beneath me
I am here to tell you
what a relief it is
Courtney Marie Andrews left her home in Phoenix, Arizona, at just sixteen years old. Her relentless performing and traveling led to work as a touring musician for Jimmy Eat World and Damien Jurado. She eventually began to release her own music, finding a worldwide audience in 2016 with her record Honest Life. May Your Kindness Remain (2018) received critical acclaim from outlets such as Rolling Stone, NPR, Variety, and The Guardian, and drew praise from John Prine and Brandi Carlisle, among others. Andrews released Old Flowers, her latest album, in July.
