Swan Songs

a poem for thresholds and tender times

Swans are as mythologically mysterious as the songs they are said to sing. A “swan song” is thought to be an individual’s final performance before a significant moment or life event. It comes from an ancient belief that swans, quiet for most of their lives, sing beautiful songs just before dying. Whether or not this is factual, it’s a powerful metaphor and image to consider.

I wrote this poem for my mother. I share it, with her blessing, for everyone living at a threshold, journeying through tender times.

at the end of an exhausting day
I try to hide my tears as I hear my mother say

what if this remission isn’t real or lasting
a false hope passing
leading to the end
what if these days in the sun are my swan song

for all the worry and the weeping
I had a hard time sleeping
and then at the start of this bright morning
when the sun completed her rising
I take my mother’s hand and say

remission is a miraculously mysterious word
and we sometimes wonder if we truly heard it
and while not really needed
it’s given us much needed permission
to laugh and to get back to living
even when there’s much we fear and are grieving
showing us how to enjoy this season
this wildly wondrous journey
fully present and deeply breathing
no, we don’t know where it’s going
and yes, I promise you this

if these days are your swan song
they will be the most beautiful song any swan has ever sang
any ocean or diving dolphin
or rising sun or setting has ever played

we will savor all the notes
as we wander on these roads
we will embody every chord
as the moment before us unfolds
we will connect and re-connect with the beauty we behold
we will dance and sway along
as the chorus keeps us strong
we will join in the refrain
with everyone we love and treasure
we will rise with every beat
and rest with every measure
we will give thanks for every stanza we’re together
and when the music stops we will pause
and remember
we lived and we will live on
because a song like this never ever dies
like a swan it sings on
forever and always

Rebecca Wilson, January 2024

There are more poems to come. I have signed a contract with Tehom Center Publishing for my first collection of poetry. These poems, telling my story of coming out as queer and leaving ministry in the United Methodist Church, have been well watered and will bloom this Spring. Stay tuned for details on how and where to get your copy.