Postcards From Cambodia
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Abe Lincoln once turned to somebody and said "Do you ever find yourself talking with the dead?"
Talking with the dead is an act that may make some folks uncomfortable, as it is not a subject that is often broached. However, history seems to suggest that this topic is not so taboo or uncommon.

There are three tiny deaths heads carved out of mammoth tusk On the ledge in my bathroom They grin at me in the morning when I'm taking a leak But they say very little
The inanimate objects in our lives, such as the three tiny death heads carved from mammoth tusks, can often hold significance to us, even though they cannot communicate in the same way we do.

Outside Phnom Penh there's a tower, glass paneled Maybe ten meters high Filled with skulls from the killing fields Most of them lack the lower jaw So they don't exactly grin But they whisper, as if from a great distance Of pain, and of pain left far behind Eighteen thousand empty eyeholes peering out at the four directions
The tower in Phnom Penh filled with skulls from the killing fields reminds us of the horrors of human cruelty and war, and the skulls themselves act as a whisper of pain and loss that echo out through the ages, representing the death of countless souls.

Electric fly buzz, green moist breeze Bone-colored Brahma bull grazes wet-eyed Hobbled in hollow of mass grave In the neighboring field a small herd Of young boys plays soccer Their laughter swallowed in expanding silence
The contrasting images of life and death, such as the buzzing flies and bone-colored Brahma bull grazing near a mass grave, along with the sound of young boys playing soccer near silence, remind us of the fragility of life in the face of death.

This is too big for anger It's too big for blame We stumble through history so Humanly lame So I bow down my head Say a prayer for us all That we don't fear the spirit When it comes to call
The atrocities committed in the past can often seem larger than our ability to fully understand them or our role in perpetuating them. As such, it is important to approach these issues with a sense of empathy and humility, recognizing the fragility of life and the human experience.

The sun will soon slide down into the far end of the ancient reservoir Orange ball merging with its water-borne twin Below air-brushed edges of cloud But first, it spreads itself A golden scrim behind fractal sweep of swooping fly catchers Silhouetted dark green trees Blue horizon
The beauty of the natural world around us, like the sunset over the ancient reservoir, reminds us of the cyclical nature of life and the interconnectedness of all things.

The rains are late this year The sky has no more tears to shed But from the air Cambodia remains A disc of wet green, bordered by bright haze Water-filled bomb craters, sun streaked gleam Stitched in strings across patchwork land and March west toward the far hills of Thailand Macro analog of Ankor Wat's temple walls Intricate bas-relief of thousand-year-old battles Pitted with AK rounds
The scars of war linger in the landscape, in the form of water-filled bomb craters and other remnants of destruction. The patchwork land is a reminder of the ancient battles that have taken place on this land and how they are still felt to this day.

And under the sign of the seven headed cobra The naga who sees in all directions Seven million landmines lie in terraced grass, in paddy, in bush (Call it a MineScape now)
The presence of landmines claims the lives of countless people every day, turning the landscape into a deadly battlefield, much like a Minescape. This is a reminder of the consequences of war and of the work that still needs to be done in order to make the world a safer place.

Sally holds the beggar's hand and cries At his scarred up face and absent eyes And right leg gone from above the knee Tears spot the dust on the worn stone causeway Whose sculpted guardians row on row Half frown, half smile, mysterious, mute
The suffering of others can be overwhelming, and is often a reminder of our own mortality and fragility. The statues on the worn stone causeway, with their half-frowned and half-smiling expressions, represent that very human experience of joy and sorrow that we all share.

And this is too big for anger It's too big for blame We stumble through history so Humanly lame So I bow down my head, Say a prayer for us all That we don't fear the spirit when it comes to call
In the end, it is important to remember that the past is filled with both darkness and light, with joy and suffering. It is up to us to approach the world with humility and reverence, recognizing our own limitations and the need to rely on each other for support and inspiration.