Poetry and hums

published August 4, 2011

in the Stockton Sentinel

Stockton, Kansas

            Have you ever had a tune get stuck in your head and it just won’t go away? Or perhaps the lyrics of a song stick in your brain, and it doesn’t matter how many other things you think about that day, you still keep thinking about that song.

            Last summer, Bob and I traveled to North Dakota to visit his brother and family. On Sunday morning, we attended church with them, and I learned a new song, “Ancient Words.” I absolutely loved the song and was so totally moved by the melody and words. The song seemed to haunt me throughout the rest of our travels. Shortly after we got home, I searched online and found the lyrics, music, a professional recording and the accompaniment soundtrack for “Ancient Words” by Michael W. Smith. I purchased and downloaded everything to my computer, then taught the song to the adult choir and eventually the congregation at the Stockton United Methodist Church. In sharing the song and teaching it to others, I found that it had the same impact on many other people as it had on me.

            Earlier this summer, we traveled to Goshen, Indiana, to visit my brother and family for a long weekend. We went to church with them and, just like last summer’s experience, I learned another new song. That was Sunday, June 26, and the song is still stuck in my head. The song is “Wonderful, Merciful Savior,” by the group Selah. I have downloaded everything I need to share it, and some Sunday morning very soon, I hope to do just that.

You remember Winnie the Pooh, don’t you? I have always loved the Pooh, not only because he is delightful and reminds me of when my boys were tots, but also because he loves to impart such sweet, simple wisdom for even us older kids to ponder. Pooh says, “Poetry and hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is go where they can find you.”

I know exactly what Pooh is talking about, and I know many of you do, also. When poetry (song lyrics) or hums (tunes) get stuck in you, don’t try to put them out of your mind. Let them find you and dwell within you, much like a prayer, calming and directing you throughout your day. That’s the power of poetry and music that even a non-musician understands.