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Spirit of Endurance

from Songs of the Sun by Freedom Summers

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about

The Spirit of Endurance

Harold Cazneaux in 1937 took a winning photograph of a tree in South Australia, which he called ‘The Spirit of Endurance’.
In 1999, on my way to Uranium mine protest camp out in the desert of Southern Lake Eyre, I came across this tree whilst passing through the Flinders Ranges. It was a big gumtree with an opening in the trunk. She was weather worn, exposing her roots.
I entered through the vulva opening to a clean space with a porthole window. I thought of its energy flowing up around me. I leaned up against her, she was kind of warm, welcoming and quite smooth on my cheek. I could feel she was living. I could smell her woody earthiness.
I could feel her ever so gently moving in the wind. I felt I was being rocked in her womb. I was looking out through the porthole window at beautiful colours in clear morning light. There was a crisp blue sky with big fluffy white clouds rushing past in the wind. I had a oneness experience with that tree. I heard these words very clear inside of me, saying, “We are all one in this thing”. The sun, the clouds, the land, the tree, myself, we are all one.
It was so simple, so profound.

Facts
Harold Cazneaux the photographer, was Dick Smiths grandfather
Qantas adopted the phrase, ‘The Spirit of Endurance’ as their moto.
The Art gallery of NSW has Cazneaux’s collection.

lyrics

The Spirit of Endurance

The spirit of endurance
Was in a big old tree
I went into her belly
And she rocked me gently
She rocked me gently

We looked out at the fluffy clouds
Floating under the great sun
She whispered in her way
That we are all one

The silence of the desert night
As if I'd always known
The fullness of the emptiness
Absorbs me as it's own
Under these desert skies
I know why I’m alive
I don’t ask questions why
The tin tin tarna flies
The tin tin tarna just flies
The messenger arrives

In my life long journey
I’ve sought the truth that’s there
And what I’ve found
Is simply profound
That love is everywhere
The love is everywhere
That love is everywhere
The love is everywhere

credits

from Songs of the Sun, released March 8, 2015
Vocals; Freedom Summers
B/Vocals; Eleesa Collis, Vanessa Forbes
Guitar; Freedom Summers
Bass; Morgan Campbell (The Colonel)
Drum Loop; Morgan Campbell (The Colonel)
Melodica; Eleesa Collis

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