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That Further Shore

by Ben O'Neill

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about

My call went straight to voicemail. I stumbled through a few sincere, but threadbare, condolences and hung up. What can anyone really say to friend who has lost a loved one?

I sat for a long while with the realization that, despite its numbing commonness, death generally leaves us mute; our feelings and fears swirling beneath the surface. The gap between the event and my inability to express anything meaningful in response, gave me pause. The chasm yawned.

This song is a letter to that friend, an effort to span the gap.

lyrics

That Further Shore
Dear May, I heard about your father and I
Called to say,
I’m sorry for your loss. It’s got me
Contemplating
What it means to lead a good life

Calling you reminds anew
There’s nothing we can say
Nothing we can do
No way we can close the open door
To that further shore

Dear May, Your mother and the kids,
How are they?
I’ve worried how you’d try to set
About to explain
Finality and all its meanings

Nothing left, I sigh afresh
I wish I had more
To offer in this message
But all I think to say’s been said before
‘Bout that further shore

Dear May, the gulf that’s opened up inside me
I can’t relate
Within the current norms of society
Suffice to say,
I’ll see you when I see you

So much left unsaid and yet
I wish I had a way
To not be so beset
By the doubt and fear that’s brought unto the fore
By that further shore

Dust to dust and ash to ash
Nothing we can do
But raise the final mast
And wave the ship goodbye from on the moor
To that further shore

credits

released July 15, 2021

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Ben O'Neill Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My name is Ben O'Neill. Music is my life's focus. That takes many forms, from being a sideman to John Legend, Jill Scott and others, to being a teacher at The University of the Arts, to creating my own music to share with you.

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