In late 2007, I was searching for a poem to use for a new choral piece. I was determined to set the work of an Iowa poet so I poured through ten volumes of a yearly journal published by the Iowa Poetry Society. In the 1955 edition, I had the good fortune of stumbling across 'A Soul in Trust', a gem of a poem by Elizabeth Lathrop Powers.

'He is so small and helpless - his very life depends on me' the poem began. This line spoke to the inner most regions of my soul, as my son Zachary was eighteen months old at the time. As the poem continued, it spoke about the challenges of raising a son the right way in perilous times. Immediately, musical ideas began popping into my head, and I knew that there was no longer a question of whether or not I would set this text - I had no choice but to set it to music!

It was a mere six years after the horrifying catastrophe of September 11th. The events of that day have forever expunged any sort of naiveté I had about the world that remained from my younger, more idealistic days. It demonstrated to me that there are people in this world that hate me simply because I’m an American (a Westerner, an infidel, whatever term you choose). They will spare no cost to kill Americans. In their jaded way of thinking, an American death is a victory for their cause - and in their deranged pursuit of that cause, they don't care if their victim is 18 months old or 81. It seems we are reminded of this all too often now, the failed bombing on Times Square and the botched exploits of the Christmas day bomber come immediately to mind.

Yes, we do live in dangerous times.

When I was a kid, suicide bombings seemed like something that only happened in the Middle East - not right here at home. I also used to ride my bike as a third grader for miles with my friends, without caring about the prospects of encountering a pedophile. The landscape has changed for my kids, unfortunately. My daughter, a 3rd grader, continually wants to walk the half mile home from school on her own - in this day and age, there's not a chance in the world I'll let that happen.

My son Zachary at age 2

The financial crisis had not hit at the time I discovered the poem, but I had the sense that it was only a matter of time until something like it happened. American politicians do not operate within the same parameters of common sense financial management that we use to run our household budgets. Social Security and Medicare have been on unsustainable paths for many years, and I knew that both would be bankrupt in the near future. We have been borrowing from Social Security income to pay for items in the general budget for years, and the deficit was well over 10 trillion dollars at the time I discovered this poem.

All of these things pointed to a painfully obvious, though regrettable, conclusion. When my son is grown, he will not inherit an America that is as care free of a place as it was when I reached early adulthood. For the first time in our lives, those of us with children now fear the answer to most basic question we all ask - "will my child have a better life than me?"

Again last month, we were reminded of the changing economic landscape as the unemployment rate hit 9.9%. It has hovered between 9% and 10% for the better part of a year, and I’ve heard reports that the real unemployment rate (including those that are so discouraged they’ve simply dropped out of the hunt) is closer to 17%. Dear God, what sort of America will my son inherit?

So in rereading ‘A Soul in Trust’ today, it occurred to me that poem seems even more relevant now then when I set it two years ago. You can see the entire poem below.

A Soul in Trust He is so small and helpless - his very life  Depends on me; O, help me, Lord, to know  How best to shield him from earth's care and strife  Life's many dangers, --while I watch him grow.  This precious gift with reverence I receive And pray I may prove equal to my task;  To teach my son the truths which I believe  I will need help: please hear me when I ask  Give wisdom, for I am weak, unskilled;  But Thou hast chosen me to be his guide. Henceforth my days with purpose will be filled,  And selfish interests will be laid aside  A human soul into my arms is thrust. May I prove worthy of this sacred trust.

On Saturday, May 22nd, at 8 pm, the Five Seasons Chamber Choir will premiere my setting of this poem at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids under my baton. If you too are, at times, uncertain about what the future holds for your children, if you are concerned about how to communicate basic truths to your children, in an era when so many media outlets communicate opposing messages, if you believe that faith is the most important thing you can pass along to your children, then this piece is for you. Come out, and hear how I’ve grappled with these issues in a musical setting that combines hopeful melodies within a tapestry of unsettling fear.

I hope this piece serves as some sort of a reminder of the extreme challenges we all face as parents. May all of us take seriously the sacred trust we’ve been assigned. If we do, perhaps we’ll help turn our country around for the next generation, so that our grandkids can indeed have a better life than ours.