I have been preoccupied with considerations of my future.

I’m looking at the final third (if I’m lucky).

My brother and I need to help each other care for our respective families (where we are currently geographically separated between OR and WY), and that will best be accomplished if we collect and centralize as a Family (in ME). We’d also like to extend that care to the community in which we will find ourselves… hence Sure Would (which will be based in a forested part of Columbia Falls, ME).

The timing of this is fuzzy, and will be determined in part by the rate at which my work environment is degenerating, plus the various states of health of the folks for whom we care.

While the actual move will be from Eugene, OR, to Machias, ME, that pairing isn’t as lyrical/poetic as Portland-to-Portland.

And that was the basis for the song, namely all of the feelings and reasons that are dominating my pondering, and the notion of swapping sunset for sunrise as a metaphorically pleasing beginning of a new chapter in life. I often need to tinker with the lyrics a I go along because I tend to be impatient about setting things to music (so I end up doing that before the lyrics are completely ready), but in this case I kept the song very simple so I was able to get all of the details fiddled out beforehand.

It took a while to get a nice balance between lead and background, and I am very happy with the result.

And when all is said and done, there are people whom I am not going to want to be a continent away from.

Or an incontinent, really, now that you mention it.

Lyrics

Moving to a strange new home

    (three thousand miles away).

Really kinda hate this cuz

    (ya know I wanna stay).

Really kinda hate this but…

    it's gonna be okay.

This has been our hometown where

    (our family belongs).

Really used to love it here

    (but loved ones moved along).

Really I might love it there…

    when it stops feeling wrong.

(Good-bye, old Portland.)

    Turn to leave the sunset with some grace.

(Hello, new Portland.)

    Turn to feel the sunrise on my face.

Time to ditch the nine-to-five

    (my mind needs to stay sharp).

Really used to like my work

    (but things all fell apart).

Really looking forward to…

    creating a new start.

Gathering our people cuz

    (some loved ones need more care)

Really need that village in

    (our Sure Would Forest, there).

Really welcome neighbors to…

    our mutual welfare.

(Good-bye, old Portland.)

    Turn to leave the sunset with some grace.

(Hello, new Portland.)

    Turn to feel the sunrise on my face.

Sure would be nice,

    sure would be sweet,

        sure would be fine,

            if everyone were seen.

(Sure Would Forest…)

(Sure Would Forest…)

That's where we'll be livin',

in the main.

(Sure Would Forest...

…

…)