I won’t belabor the point, but there’s no way around the fact that the we are living in a time of unbelievable grief. In addition to the extra layers of grief we’re all dealing with now (200,000 pandemic deaths, the loss of a Supreme Court champion for civil rights, looming fascism), we still have all the more usual forms of loss and grief to deal with: deaths of family, friends, beloved animal companions – all of it is still happening, and it all still hurts. I don’t know if I would have picked up on it if Ken hadn’t told me – I’m not super perceptive when it comes to interpreting lyrics – but “Look in a Mirror” is a song about such a loss, and as such it is both utterly timeless and perfect for these times.
The song, Ken’s placid voice easing us through it, manages to be both calming and unsettling at the same time, the 5/8 rhythm keeping us on our toes all throughout, looking around the corner. The chorus lulls us into a peaceful feeling as it starts: “We went down to the cove on our own, skipping stones. Felt like we were at home.” And then, just as we’re easing into that warm feeling, it comes: “Except that I was alone.” This moment of relaxed camaraderie becomes a moment of poignant loss and loneliness. Anyone who’s lost someone close to them knows this feeling, and Ken Cormier puts it into song subtly and artfully.
(Ken Cormier is an associate professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. )