Splinter

Splinter

This song is based upon Hans Christian Anderson's story of The Snow Queen. When I was little, my family had a big, old, falling-apart book of his stories with beautiful illustrations. In the story, the devil makes a mirror that will make whatever it reflects seem horrible and ugly. When the mirror is shattered over the earth, tiny fragments of it are spread everywhere to work their evil. You'll have to read the story to know the rest. Suffice to say it has always been for me a very powerful metaphor.

he once saw clearly he could take in light
refract it brightly all around him
he could see beauty and the tiny strings connecting him to everything
he could see the sun and feel the sky but all that now has passed him by

he got a splinter of the devil's mirror in his eye
all he sees is darkness all he wants is to die
and the winter now has frozen over everything that every was alive
the splinter found its way into his heart and turned his soul to ice

he used to say I was the only one he could talk to
he used to say I was the only one he loved
now he doesn't see me when I stand before him
he says he doesn't want to feel anything anymore

if I could melt the winter that's stolen you from me...
but I'm no match for the Snow Queen who has called you to her knee
I loved you more than warmth and light I loved you more than sun and sky
so cold I cannot breathe teeth chattering so hard I cannot say goodbye