Unsteady Ground
Catherine Feeny Lyrics

At night we plant bones
In the quiet darkness, while the world sleeps, we create foundations that may become the strength of something new.

In the dark as your children sleep
We build and create unknowns in the depths of the night, hoping that they will be discovered by the morning sun.

You should know by now
It is assumed that you have learned enough to understand that not everything is as it seems and that the unsteady ground can be treacherous.

There is always something moving
The world is constantly shifting and changing, and the things that we thought we understood can become something else entirely.

Under your feet
The ground upon which we stand can change at any moment, whether we are aware of it or not.

Black water runs deep
The underlying forces of nature are strong and nearly invisible, hidden until it is often too late to make any changes.

Underneath these titanic plates
Massive structures of the planet are layered and can move silently until their energies collide and create mountains where there were none before.

Where you build your homes
We choose to live in these precarious positions, building structures on the very things that cannot be counted on to remain still.

And you tie up your safety nets
We prepare safety nets, hoping to prevent the fall when the ground changes, but they can never be secure enough to guarantee safety.

But when these plates meet
When the forces of the earth collide, there can be massive repercussions that shake our worlds.

It is mountains they make
In these collisions, we can find firm ground or mountains that can only be conquered with significant effort and resources.

When these bones shift
When the foundation of our world begins to move, the consequences can be far-reaching, altering everything we have ever known.

There's an earthquake
The forces beneath can bring desolation and destruction, reshaping and renegotiating our realities in ways we cannot predict.

Watch your step
Be cautious and alert because the footing we thought was secure can shift at any moment.

You should keep your head down
Don't let your guard down because everything can be turned upside down without warning.

You never know what tomorrow will bring around
The future is uncertain and can be shaped by forces beyond our control, but we have the power to prepare and adapt to changes as they come.

You hold onto what good fortune you have found
We cling to the good things we have and hope they can be enough to carry us through times of hardship and change.

For you are walking on unsteady ground
We remind ourselves that the very foundation we stand on is unreliable and capable of shifting beyond our control.

We will drill the earth
We will exploit the resources of the planet, without regard for the consequences that may come from these actions.

And you'll ride that slick
We will benefit from the resources that are taken from the planet, even when those resources are destructive and unsustainable.

When it dirties your hands
We will reap benefits even when we know that they come at a cost to ourselves, to others, and to the environment.

Yeah, it's a dirty trick
We acknowledge that the pursuit of wealth from the planet's resources will have harmful and unintended consequences.

But it's like quicksand, you know
The pursuit of wealth and resources can become all-encompassing and consume us in ways that are difficult to see and to escape.

To distinguish the top from the undertow
It is challenging to discern the surface from the forces that are shaping us from below, and we risk being overtaken by the unstoppable forces that we have unleashed.

It gets harder as your eyes and your bellies grow
We become increasingly driven to consume, to use resources without regard for their sustainability or impact because our own growth and survival depend on it.

You love God, yes
We are guided by religious and spiritual beliefs that can provide comfort and wisdom in times of uncertainty and change.

You love your president, you
We have faith in our political leaders, trusting them to make decisions that will benefit our society as a whole, but that trust is often misplaced.

You want them both, but
We seek direction and leadership from both spiritual and political authorities, but the two are often in conflict and incompatible with each other.

We must keep them separate
We must acknowledge that our religious and political beliefs are separate and distinct and must be kept apart to avoid conflicts of interest and power.

The left hand don't know where the right is at yet
There is often a lack of coordination between the different parts of a society, whether religious, political, or cultural and that can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings.

The children don't know yet that
The younger generation is often unaware of the complexities and challenges that face their communities, which can hinder their ability to adapt to changes successfully.

We're bombing Baghdad
We as a nation continue to pursue conflicts and wars that have far-reaching consequences and that we will be forced to grapple with for generations to come.

Keep your head down
Stay vigilant and aware of the dangers, be prepared to adapt and change, and don't let your guard down.

We are walking on
We are all walking on the same unsteady ground, facing the same challenges and uncertainties, but we have the power to shape our reality, to adapt and thrive, and to build a better world for ourselves and future generations.