March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.
-Olde English Proverb
I realize the lamb and the lion paired together have inherently religious overtones, but for the purpose of this post and for a little clarification, I use them from a social or political perspective, symbols of war and peace. The majority of this post was written on March 1st but I thought it would be more apropos if it were posted on March 4th. See what I did there. Comment if you think it was clever.
The song Lamb and Lion by a L.A. punk rock group called Mae Shi was released a few years ago. It made it on to a mix CD Jon made me back in 2009 and promptly became one of Eli's favorite songs. It's quite a treat to watch him rock out to it while we are driving in the car. It's also one of my playlist songs for running. Anticipating what I was going to write for this post, I wanted to share the song, the title falling nicely into my theme. I looked up the lyrics to be sure they wouldn't offend any of my more gentle readers. And while there aren't any offensive words I interpret their meaning to be vaguely anti-religion. What's a girl to do when a favorite song goes against everything she stands for? That's right, reinterpret the meaning or hang on to what she always thought it meant. Take a listen below, what do you think?
The Mae Shi - Lamb and the Lion
Here are the lyrics so you can follow along:
I predict a decline in the price
of lamb & lion international
The lamb's gone missing and
the lion's sleeping peacefully
We've lost our quorum
In respect, second thought,
this merger was established rather hastily
We thought we read it in the book
but we couldn't find the verse now
The storm clouds roll in
Bow your head to the lion
Chant the name of the lion
Burn the mane of the lion into
Every mountaintop
Build a cage for the lamb
Dig a grave for the lamb
Set a place for the lamb
On every altar
Peace is all too often sacrificed for the sake of ego, power and greed. The roar of the lion is louder than the gentle bleat of the lamb. And as I watch national and world events unfold, I struggle with my own position. Neutrality can often be confused for apathetic, or for that matter, just pathetic. Can I stand disinterested, an impartial spectator to the fray? Where does my commitment lie, to which side does my allegiance bend? Is naiveté a defense when I wonder when lions and lambs will finally cast off tradition and, as another song suggests, “lie down together without any ire”?
This month seems a perfect battlefield. Named for a god of war, its very utterance a command. The frozen earth against a spring wind, the fight between for and against, an elbowing for bracket position, the cries from a far away country; they will all struggle in March’s arms, like a flailing child. The old English proverb that March comes in like a lion is fitting as we watch war rage on all sides, from the political unrest of Libya to the capital steps of Wisconsin. This first week of March 2011 has shaken its mane in protest and fury. As I lay in bed on Tuesday morning contemplating the growing turmoil, the words in my head tumbled about, searching for place until I rose from bed and put them in order. I write them here in an effort to assuage the guilt, hoping others feel a common helplessness when faced with what seems like an impasse of complex debate and contention.
Every time I watch the news
I picnic at the Battle of Bull Run,
entertained by the battle and
fed by the constant protest.
My hope for a
swift
and
bloodless
conclusion
met when it's over
and I turn my attention
to the laundry.
If the lion is sleeping peacefully it is because we have made him a soft bed. We have fluffed his pillows and set the temperature for perfect. Many of us, like me, watch with a mere passing interest, unwilling, unable or unsure of taking the next step in search of the lamb. Other interests grab our attention, entertain our fancy and the lamb wanders away. To clarify, laundry has never held my attention or entertained my fancy, I just do a lot of it.
If the lamb is sacrificed it is because we placed him on the altar and thrust in the dagger. I’m tired of the rhetoric and the talk of concession and sacrifice when people continue to point at each other and cry “You, not me.” Sacrifices will be made in other ways as the lives of good and brave men and women are laid down for freedom’s holy grail. Or when children’s futures are cast aside for a chilling display of petty adult decorum and hypocrisy. On both sides.
The second half of the proverb says that March goes out like a lamb. I do not suggest that centuries of political turmoil and unrest in any country and for any reason can be solved in a month. I may be naïve but I am not stupid. However March’s battleground and the month’s that are to come, do not need to be so bloody if we can commit to at least trying to protect the lamb. Come on, if he’s going to be able to walk out of here at month’s end, he needs to be at least a little cared for. Let’s cheer for those who heroically stand in defense of their freedom regardless of color or religion and let go of what we think we deserve or are owed by our mere being and work harder to serve the common good.
Go ahead, March forth.
